Surviving Together: Retribution
by LavenderGoddessV
Summary: B/V, final part to the Surviving Together trilogy. While Vegeta has been coping with Bulma's death, an old rival has been plotting the Saiya-jin prince’s downfall. Will this returning enemy ensure Vegeta’s ultimate defeat, or liberate him from his mis
1. Resurrection

Quick Note: Ok, just for those of you who do not know, this is the conclusion of the _Surviving Together_ trilogy. I will try to be much more diligent will posting than I was with the last fic! So, without further ado, I hope you all enjoy!!

Surviving Together: Retribution   

Chapter 1 – Resurrection

"Morning, beautiful," the burly man purred as he gently awoke his blue beauty with a tender caress of her cheek. 

As her eyes slowly fluttered open, the younger woman felt a relaxing smile cross her lips as she gazed upon her lover. "Good morning to you as well," she greeted while gently pushing herself onto her elbows. "What time is it?" she questioned with a heavy yawn. 

"Early," he whispered, while gently nipping her nose. "I would have let you sleep longer, but we will soon be landing on planet Frost. So you must begin to ready yourself, I want you to look your best." 

With a sigh, his attractive mate frowned in confusion. "I still do not understand why," she pouted, "I doubt this emperor friend of yours will care whether or not I am with you. He most likely will not even notice me."

"Now there you are gravely mistaken, my dear." He repressed a knowing smirk, "I doubt his 'magnificence' will be able to take his eyes off of you. I know _I_ barely can." 

She blushed feverishly at the compliment, before finally agreeing, "If you insist." Rising from their bed, she then began heading towards their bathroom to do as her mate asked, but she did not make it far before two powerful arms encircling her waist stopped her abruptly. "Radditz," she protested weakly as he began caressing her neck with his hungry lips. "Come on, if you do not let me go, I will never be ready in time." 

Nipping her neck, he finally released her with a disappointed groan. "Very well, Atae, but do not be too long."

"I won't," she promised before walking into their washroom and closing the door behind her. 

Radditz exhaled as soon as she had left the room, and then allowed his body to collapse roughly atop of their bed. Closing his eyes he allowed his mind to consider all that was finally happening. His long awaited plans were finally coming to fruition, thanks to his breathtaking mate. _Atae_; the blessing he never in his most exotic dreams could have augured. 

It still seemed like yesterday that he had stepped off of his ship, after a three-month voyage to the planet Namek, to collect the dragonballs to make his three wishes. Three wishes that had changed his life in a manner he had never expected. 

She was supposed to be a means to manipulate his former prince. _Vegeta's_ mate, the slave girl he was never allowed to touch. She was the Saiya-jin no Ouji's only weakness, and gods did he want to exploit it. After surreptitiously convincing the Nameks to summon their dragon, he had made his wish to bring the beauty to him, and then restore her life once more. In accordance with his demand, she had appeared before him, just as stunning as the last time he recalled seeing her. From her long flowing blue tresses to her milky white skin, her supple figure was perfectly intact. It took much of his strength to stop himself from taking her right then and there. But, he had restrained himself long enough to secure the completion of the third and most important wish that needed to be granted. Her memory had to be eliminated. It was the only way to ensure her bending to his will. 

So it was then done, within seconds of his third wish being asked, the dragon had disappeared, and those bottomless blue eyes opened, shining with confusion. Radditz, of course, had been more than contented to help her better understand what had been happening to her. He spun lies about her being his mate, and after having been caught in a dangerous crossfire with his enemies, he had brought her to the peaceful planet Namek to recover. Why she failed to remember that which he was telling her, was a result of the amnesia she had suffered from head trauma received during the attack. She seemed skeptical at first, but having no basis for disbelief, she soon learned to trust in his lies. 

And he had told many of them. Everything from the ever so romantic story of how he had saved her from an oppressive dictatorial prince who had used her body for only his own selfish pleasures, to her name, Atae, his gift, his godsend. The title had come so easily to him. It was truly a more worthy name than that which Vegeta recognized her by; _Bulma_. The change had been a marked improvement, though perhaps no change he could have made to her would have even been as astounding as that which she had altered within him. 

It was amazing to think how his plan had gone so astray, how his intentions changed so quickly, so drastically. He wanted to use her, to ravage her night after pleasurable night, just for the satisfaction of bringing her desecrated body back to his undeserving prince in retaliation for all of the humiliations he had long ago faced. But, his plan had never come to pass. Everything had changed the moment those blue eyes swallowed him alive. 

Perhaps it was these last ten years of solitude that had made him crave something more than a useless fuck, but the desire to have her completely willing was abundantly clear the first time she hugged him. Hugged him! No one had ever dared hug him in all of his life, but she did. Her fearful confusion compounded with the relief in having her consciousness back, had made her want to share her excitement with him after her awakening—after he had vowed his false promises of love and devotion. 

It was as if she crumbled his rough exterior with minimal effort and brought him to a lust more possessive than any he had ever felt for a woman. He understood the presage at that moment; he would never let her go. It was only then Radditz could finally understand Vegeta's obsession with the little female. Though he could not pinpoint exactly what it was that made her so damn irresistible, he turned out to be just as susceptible as the ouji himself. Her soft touch, affectionate glances, and innocent words melted his icy heart to the point of irrationality. Those first few days aboard his ship, he had lavished her with all the necessities a being could ever want. He went out of his way to please her, though he had not the faintest idea why. He originally told himself this was the best way to earn her trust, to gain her loyalty, but gradually he found himself wanting so much more. 

He had refrained from taking her to bed those following nights, or at least, taking her to bed in the sense of mating with her. She had slept by his side every night since her revival. He saw it as a protective measure, a beautiful woman as she should not be left alone for a moment aboard a ship of lustful unmated men. But, unlike with other women, something about the thought of _her_ coming to _him_ willingly was so much more enthralling than his simply seducing her.  So he waited, and then finally, nearly one month after her restoration to life, she submitted to him. It was early morning when she had awakened him with the blissful news. In the middle of their enormous bed she knelt, dropping her long silken robe to unveil all he had waited to see. 

"I am your mate, and I have unfairly denied you for too long. If you still desire me, you may have me." 

Her words had sounded so prepared, as if she had long wanted to say them, but was unsure when the right time would be. He was more than pleased that the time was then. He had wanted her for so long, even years after the last time he had seen her on Freeza's ship, he could still feel all of the repressed desire he had held for her. He was more than ready to release it, which was exactly what he intended as he rose to his knees; and towering over her, he had begun to explore her body. 

She seemed very nervous at first, most likely because along with her memories went any recollect of the feel of another being against her body. He had been looking forward to helping her relearn the art of mating, when their coupling was stopped abruptly by her. She had placed one hand against his chest, and swiftly twisted her head as she leaned over the side of the bed. He had tried to ask her what was wrong, but before he could, her ailment was made obvious as bile was released from her throat.

Any normal man would have taken the reaction personally, but he had known better. A few times prior he had caught her suffering from similar symptoms. She had insisted that they were merely the result of motion sickness, but he would accept the lie no longer. After cleaning her up, he brought her to the sickbay of the ship. It was then he learned that though her memory of her former lover was eliminated; she still carried a very real part of him inside of her. 

Pregnant! Of all the contingencies to arise, that one was certainly the most detestable. Had he had any idea that by wishing back to life the woman, he was also wishing back Vegeta's offspring, he would have thought twice about his options. Radditz's first instinct was to have the child terminated, but after seeing the joy in the woman's eyes as she heard the news, he knew he would lose any future chance at her offering herself to him if he ordered the brat's death. Fortunately, however, he was never faced with the decision after the sound of six joyously whispered words tickled his ears. 

_"**We** are going to be parents!"_

_We;_ how soon he had forgotten that she believed he was her mate prior to her memory loss, so her natural assumption would be that he was the father of her child. And to make matters even more convenient, his crew believed the same lie since all were acting under the assumption that he had been mating with the beautiful woman since the night he had taken her aboard. Even when the child was born less than eight months later, no one questioned her paternity, the soft brown tail on the blue-eyed, blue haired female all but proved she was of his Saiya-jin descent. 

_She_; now there was another shock. Only one in five successful Saiya-jin pregnancies would traditionally bear female offspring. He could hardly believe that she had, though he quickly determined it had been for the best. The girl was practically an exact replica of her mother, save for the tail of course. Virtually no trace of Vegeta in her appearance; it was better than he could have hoped.  

"I am not sure why, but I think we should call her Bra. I feel very partial to the name, Radditz."

If he had been of a weaker race, he would have experienced a heart attack when she made that suggestion. Radditz was no fool; he had researched the events following her departure from Freeza's ship, to her arrival on Frost. Bra had been an alias she had used while on Merigh, he worried that perhaps the dragon had not been as successful in completely removing her memories as he had originally hoped. But being too fearful of arising suspicion, along with being unable to deny her anything, he agreed to the name. And, in a moment of insanity, he agreed to allow the cub a spot in _their_ bedroom, a room that had seen no activity since before her arrival. 

Once she had discovered she was pregnant, she rejected any further idea of coupling with him; afraid it would in some way harm the child. He had been reluctant, but a part of him experienced some sense of repulsion, knowing inside of her was the spawn of his enemy. He decided he could wait until the being was purged from her body. 

Her pregnancy had been particularly difficult, he had expected as much once he learned the gender. There was a reason only twenty percent of Saiya-jins were females. So, her recovery time had of course taken longer than typical. It was just a few weeks ago the ship's physician informed him that she was once more physically able to couple with him. He was enthralled to be given the 'go ahead,' as it was, to _finally_ have her. After so many long months of merely laying beside her, able to touch, but not mate, it was a torture unlike any other he had ever experienced, save for a few minor benefits. 

Their time of celibacy had rather ironically fostered a more intimate relationship to grow between them. As bizarre is it would be for him to admit, he began to enjoy the late nights they stayed up talking. How absurd it seemed that he would grow to know the pleasure of a simple dialogue. Being able to express his feelings freely and openly had never been an option for the cold-hearted warrior. It went against everything he had ever believed in, everything his Saiya-jin heritage had taught him. But _she _made it feel right. _She_ made him feel comfortable. And after a while, he began to believe she was learning to feel the same for him. And then when the night would finally come, when he could finally have her, he knew their coupling would be more intense than any casual sex experience he had ever had. But he was _not_ yet to know, as fate had kept them apart once more. 

After Bra's birth, Atae had refused to separate herself from her child until she was fast asleep. And then night after night, by the point 'their' child was finally put to rest, Atae would be too physically exhausted to mate with him. At first, though he was disappointed, he had accepted the excuse and her continued apologizing for her inability to have the strength to join with him. She had made it clear to him that her first priority had to be for 'their' brat. But what was once understandable had now become a nuisance. Who would have thought that a baby could cry for hours on end? Need to be fed so frequently? And permeate such a repugnant stench?    
  


It was then Radditz had begun to hate the little inconvenience. The child was completely disrupting his life, and thoughts of ending its existence were once again itching his consciousness. But he of course refrained. No forgiveness would await him after killing his woman's child, so he was left with no other option than to wait, and wait, and wait. And so pitifully, to this day, the most he has had the privilege of, is feeling her perfect curves against his. Though they had basked in gentle caresses and passionate wars with their tongues from time to time, they had never completely joined. 

But that, Radditz soon planned to change; for in mere hours they will be landing on her once home for a short time. Planet Frost; his rival's sanctuary and his soon to be resting place. 

His fate was vastly changing, Radditz was certain. Soon he would blissfully witness his former prince's jealousy as he strolls in with his mate and cub—not, or course, that he would know them as such. 'Poor Vegeta still has no idea his lover is alive… and in _my _bed,' he thought with zeal, knowing the avarice would eat the bastard alive. Radditz knew because he was there before, he had once been the one denied the prize, but no more. _He _had the woman; and the strength now to reclaim his honor._ He_ finally has the chance to out match his once better, in the arena of battle; man-to-man, warrior-to-warrior, Saiya-jin to Saiya-jin—correction _Super_ Saiya-jin to _Super_ Saiya-jin.

Rising from his bed, Radditz walked to the side of the room where 'his' sleeping daughter lay. Reaching out a gentle finger to stroke her cheek, he smirked. 'Soon little one, I will have all that belongs to your father, and so much more.' 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"How was that, Dad?" Trunks asked hopefully after he finished demonstrating a fighting technique he had just learned. 

"It looked like shit," Vegeta responded bluntly, very much to the distress of his son. Plastering a smirk across his face, Vegeta placed a hand upon his heir's head as he added, "but then again, it looked like shit the first time I tried it as well."

Trunks sunken expression shifted to that of a smile as he listened to his father's rather awkward version of praise. "I will keep working at it; I know I will get it in no time!"

"Well, you had better. A member of the royal bloodline should produce nothing less than perfection," Vegeta reminded notably. "Now go get yourself cleaned up. Dinner shall be ready in one hour."

"Great, I am starving!" Trunks gave his stomach a quick rub before bidding his father adieu until dinner. 

Once Vegeta was finally alone, he allowed himself a heavy seat upon the training room floor. Running his fingers through his unruly hair, he slowly closed is eyes anticipating the sentiment he was about to receive. 

"You are doing well by that boy, he seems happier with everyday that passes," Garock offered quietly as he walked over to the hollow form of his emperor. 

Vegeta slowly raised his head to acknowledge the elder man before him. "Well, that makes one of us."

The advisor sighed while taking a seat across from the disheartened man. "It has been a very long year, I know, but perhaps it is time for you to release your grief, Vegeta. You are still a fairly young man; you can not spend the rest of your life wallowing in misery—"

"And just what the hell do you expect me to do!?" Vegeta snapped irritably, "I have lost my mate, Garock. Do not expect me to move on. I could not eleven years ago when I first lost her; I sure as hell cannot now. So, save your concern for the boy, he still has hope."

"I believe you do as well," Garock suggested, "come now, sire. How would you feel if the situation was reversed? If you had given your life the day of Cooler's attack and she had only survived to die a little everyday in grief? You know that is not what you would have wanted for her, and this certainly is not what she would have wanted for you. By closing yourself off to the world, you dishonor her memory."

A low-pitched growl came from the younger man as he considered his elder's words. Yes, his mate had given her life in place of his. Yes, she no doubtedly would be angered to see the broken shell of a man he has become. But she would be selfish to expect more from him. He should have been the one to die that day, _not_ her. Even though he knew her sacrifice was more logical than his, the sting was not subdued. The fact remained that if he had taken better care of her, protected her when he should have, her death would have never been the denouement. He would still have his mate, and his son would still have his mother, _not_ merely a mediocre father. 

Perhaps mediocre was a generous word. Vegeta had been for the most part useless the weeks and earlier months following Bulma's funeral. Her body had been placed in a mausoleum on the top level of the castle in a private room adjoining his. Garock had advised him that her vault should be embedded in the underground of the palace, not left as a shrine for the emotionally unstable man to cling to. But Vegeta had scoffed at the idea. His mate was as a cherub to him, she deserved to be raised on high for her eternal rest, not locked away in the underground of a cold drafty castle. 

He had many times taken refuge in her new home. Many nights he had slept next to the marble tomb, as if she would be lonely without his warm body next to her cold grave. Many nights he had dreamed of her rising from her heavy tomb and coming to him, forgiving his failure to protect her, and then giving herself to him to mend his broken heart. But as with every night since that fated day, any vision of her was just that, a figment of his imagination. 

Trunks had been the stronger of the two. He had helped Vegeta come back to reality as time moved on, distracting him with training, and political matters. Vegeta had been forced to at the very least continue going through the motions of life. But the compulsory experiences would have eventually become stale had he not had a strange moment of divinity almost three months after his lover's death. 

To this very day, he had no clue what had happened to him, but in the dead of the night, he felt her. For a split second, he felt her existence. Moments later the feeling vanished, leaving him empty once more. But, a part of him seemed to regenerate after the experience, whether imagined or not, some deep part of him realized that what he had felt was some sort of sign that his once mate was still with him, wanting him to do exactly what Garock was suggesting. Not that he had any clue as to how to fulfill such a demand. "I still do not know what you expect of me," he said finally. 

Garock took a long breath before offering a suggestion that he knew would anger his leader. "You could try to find someone who may be able to take your pain away as Bulma did."

Vegeta's eyes immediately widened as he realized what the elder man was suggesting. "I can not, _will not _replace her!" Vegeta jumped to his feet, his tone and mannerisms oozing resentment. 

"I was not suggesting that at all," Garock explained as he rose to his feet. "I was merely trying to bring to your attention that even though you have lost a loved one, you do not need to continue through life without any companionship. There are many beautiful women in this universe, Vegeta, and even more with gentle hearts that are full of compassion. I know you do not want another mate, I would never suggest that you replace Bulma, but… But boys need mother figures in their lives, and men need the physical and emotional care that only the fairer sex can offer. It would not kill you to at least be open to the possibility of actively pursuing your own happiness."

Taking several moments to contemplate an answer, Vegeta finally offered calmly, "I will consider what you have said." 

"Excellent," Garock nodded, thankful the younger man had at least agreed to regard his words of advice. 

"Sire," a voice interrupted the pair as both turned to look at the short purple creature that carried a piece of paper in his hand. 

"What is it, Keldor?" Vegeta raised a curious brow as he observed the nervous looking man. 

"A ship has just landed on platform H16 without permission from the control room." The creature breathed heavily, clearly having run all the way from his station to tell him. 

Vegeta raised a brow, not certain why he had been consulted for such a pointless matter. "So have a squadron arrest the violator; that is protocol."

"I know sire, and we attempted to do that, but he was too strong for us. He defeated three squads of twenty men in a matter of seconds."

"Impossible, no one besides the emperor and his son is strong enough to achieve such a feat," Garock reminded. 

Vegeta, enticed by such a development, questioned, "Have you any idea who this being that has made such an entrance is?"

"Well," Keldor gulped nervously. "All he would tell us is that he was an old friend of yours and he would not leave until you came to speak with him personally."

The emperor chuckled; he could almost smell the impending battle in the air. "I doubt he is an old friend of mine, considering next to me is the only one I have," he gestured to Garock, "but if it is me he wants to see then so be it." Grabbing his cape, gloves, and armor, Vegeta quickly neatened himself up before ordering the smaller creature to lead him to docking bay H16, with Garock following closely behind. 

It seemed he had a guest he did not want to keep waiting. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note: Hm, so you all have a little idea as to what has been going on for the last several months. What will happen when Emperor comes face to face with a man he believes dead? And what about Bulma? Will seeing Vegeta ignite the forgotten flame within her? Find out next time…


	2. Déjà Vu

Surviving Together: Retribution   

Chapter 2 – Déjà Vu

"Don't you just look so cute," Bulma chuckled as she bounced her baby girl on her knee. Radditz had told her they would be meeting planet Frost's king tonight, so they should be prepared to look their best. Though the blue haired woman was not sure whether her 'best' meant formal or attractive, she opted to blend the two. Selecting a midnight blue cropped shirt that exposed her recently re-firmed tummy and arms, she complimented it with a tightly fit knee length navy skirt that was nicely accented by her knee high black boots. She pulled her hair back in a loose ponytail, leaving a few free strands to cascade daintily down her face. All things considered, she thought the outfit was a fine model of her 'best.' 

"Yes, just like you look." Bulma kissed her daughter on her forehead as she examined her powder blue gown. "I think you will be the real eye stopper," she chuckled while rising to her feet and doing a quick turn in front of the mirror with her now laughing daughter in arm. When she stopped, she began to wonder about this evening. 

"So, Bra, your daddy seems very excited about meeting this old friend of his. What do you think it is all about?" she asked her unresponsive companion as she set her momentarily on her bed. She shrugged to herself as she allowed her questions to drift from her mind, knowing she would have all of her answers in due time. 

Before his departure, Radditz had given her very few instructions. He had told her to ready their daughter, for the young girl could be present with them for introductions, and advised her of only one further note, that she should make certain to cover his bite mark whenever in public. She had accused him of being ashamed of their connection, but he disagreed sternly, insisting it was merely for her own protection. After all, should anyone find out she was bonded to him, his Achilles' heel would obtusely be revealed. 

With a low sigh, she reached to the foot of their bed, grabbed a pale blue scarf, and wrapped it around her neck for proper protection. 'He is lucky it fits so well with this outfit,' she smiled to herself as she picked up her daughter once again. "So what do you think, Bra? Shall we go meet up with your Dad?"

The small child only yawned as she rested her delicate head against her mother's shoulder. Placing a gentle kiss upon her daughter's forehead, Bulma set out to meet her mate's 'old friend.' 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Nice ship," Garock could not help but gasp rather impressed as he entered docking bay H16 along with the Emperor. "Do you recognize it?"

"No," Vegeta shook his head immediately; he could not distinguish the technology. It was neither like his fleet nor that of the Ice-jins. Whoever this trespasser was, he could not decipher whether it was friend or foe. 

"Emperor," a soldier quickly knelt and rose as he greeted his commander. "My squad has had the ship surrounded since the interloper's first attack. He has taken no further act of aggression since we informed him you were being summoned."

"It seems he wishes very much to gain my complete attention," Vegeta raised a partial smirk. "And just where is this mystery intruder?" The emperor did not have to look far before a resounding answer was offered to him.

"Right here, my prince," a husky voice came from the shadows of the boarding platform of the unidentified vessel. "It has been a long time, Vegeta."

As soon as the figure emerged into visibility, two shocked expressions spread across both Garock's and Vegeta's faces as they suddenly saw the walking dead. "Radditz," Vegeta stuttered the Saiya-jin's name, utterly bewildered. 

"But it can not be, he was killed after the botched Garchian attack," Garock noted, terribly confused.

"Not killed, just grossly disabled, of course you would not have known that since neither you nor Nappa took the time to search for me." The large man took it upon himself to fill in the embittering gaps. Walking towards his former prince, Radditz stopped just a few feet before the stunned pair. "But luck was on my side that day, and I have now lived to experience a full and impressive life."

"Is that so?" Vegeta asked with a half chuckle. "Then why are you here? I assume you think because you are the last of my people I will show some pity for you and welcome you into my home, but you are unfortunately gravely mistaken. We were never comrades, merely men of similar situation forced to work together. I owe you nothing, and your appearance here, though dramatic, was quite pointless." Vegeta swiftly turned on his heel, having no interest in further dialogue. He had a dinner date with his son to get to. "Congratulations on your resurrection, Radditz, but it is no concern of mi—"

"Radditz," a soft feminine voice that Vegeta eerily recognized immediately snapped his head over towards the boarding platform of the second class's ship.

Déjà vu overtook the Emperor as a second, though graphically more shocking sight entered his line of vision. "Bulma," he could barely bring his lips to whisper the name as he saw the spitting image of his mate depart from the ship with a child, that save for her size and the furry brown tail wrapped around her carrier's wrist, was almost the spitting image of his deceased blue angel. 

"I am sorry," she apologized as she walked over to join her mate and his associates. "I do not wish to interrupt your exchange, but we have been cooped up on a ship for several months, I just wanted to take a walk to get us some fresh air," she directed her intentions more specifically towards her mate, seemingly oblivious to the gawking eyes plastered to her angelic form. 

Radditz used all of his strength to withhold a smirk. Her timing could not have been better. "Well, I am sorry my darling, but it seems Vegeta here has no interest in my continued presence on this planet."

"Vegeta?" Bulma turned her head to finally acknowledge the handsome man before her. Shifting Bra, so she was more securely in the hold of one arm, Bulma used her now free hand to extend it towards the emperor Radditz had just mentioned. "You must pardon Radditz's lack of manners. I am Atae, his mate, and this is our daughter."

Powerless to do anything else but clasp her delicate hand in his own, he thoughtlessly raised her wrist to his lips, kissing it softly. 'It can not be, she even smells like her,' Vegeta had merely a moment to think before the gentle hand was ripped away from him. 

"Enough of that, Vegeta, find your own mate to fondle." Radditz pulled his favorite possession a step back from the intrusive ruler. The man could gawk at her in jealousy, but not dare touch. _Atae_ was his, regardless of how he chose to use her to manipulate his former enemy.

"Radditz, do not be so cruel. He was only being cordial," turning back to her new acquaintance, she continued, "Please excuse him again, he is very protective of my well being."

"I can understand why," Garock responded quickly, since Vegeta was clearly unable to do so. "I am Garock, an adviser to the Emperor. It is a pleasure to meet you, Atae." The elder man clasped Bulma's hand in a similar gesture as was taken by Vegeta. "And your little one as well, she is adorable," he added as he moved his hand to touch the toddler's nose, who in return clasped his finger with a joyous laugh.

"I think she likes you," Bulma decided as she watched Garock and Bra exchange amused glances. 

Radditz stood back and watched as the three enjoyed one another's company with a scowl on his face; he did not like all the male attention _his_ woman was getting. For a split second, he could have regretted his decision to come to planet Frost in the first place, but after gazing over at the still shell-shocked Emperor, he knew he had been right. Taking a few discreet steps over to the former prince, he casually mentioned, "She is beautiful, isn't she?" His voice was low enough so that only Vegeta could hear the goading remark. "I could not believe my eyes the day I found her. The blue hair, those bottomless sapphire orbs, the creamy porcelain skin, save for a softer disposition, her appearance was unequivocally comparable to that of the slave you once found so fetching… Oh, what was her name… _Bulma_… Yes, I think that was it. When I found Atae, I thought perhaps the two were one and the same, but no, _my _mate had been living under the tyranny of a horrid prince for many years. You would not believe how grateful she was for my liberation of her heart, mind, body, and soul. All, of which, she has subsequently given to me. It is because of her I am now a better man, she is truly my most precious possession," Radditz repressed the smirk he felt forming as he watched his former prince's face contract under the vocalization of each sting laced word. 

"You do not deserve a creature so fair," Vegeta hissed as he shot a deadly glare towards his subordinate. "Any man who sees his mate as a 'possession' is an unfit lover. I feel a swell of pity for the woman," he finished, icily ignoring any further comment from Radditz as he walked towards the woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to his deceased mate. "Atae, it is?" Vegeta said somewhat hesitantly as he watched her turn to face him. 

"Yes, that is right," Bulma agreed as she noticed the uneasy look upon the emperor's face. "Is there a problem?"

"No, not at all," Vegeta was quick to clarify. It had been so long since he had seen the face of his mate; it was an indescribable blessing to experience the awe-inspiring sense of deja vu. Even if it was not his true love. "I was merely going to suggest that if you are so worn from space travel, you should spend a few nights in the comfort of my castle. Your mate and I," he twisted his head slightly to glance briskly at Radditz, "can catch up on some business while you do so." He finished by returning his gaze to her; the resemblance was truly uncanny. 

Nodding with a bright smile, Bulma agreed happily. "That is very courteous of you, I would be more than thrilled to spend a few nights on solid ground, and I am sure this little one would as well." Bulma looked down at her daughter who entrancingly had her eyes glued to Vegeta. "This is her first time off ship," the blue haired beauty explained as she watched her daughter extend her arms towards her unknowing father. Giggling heartedly, Bulma drew an amused conclusion, "I think she wants you to hold her." Slowly walking closer to the bemused emperor, Bulma began softly, "have you ever held a child before?" Her voice had to be raised for the inquiry to be heard since her impatient daughter had begun crying due to not getting the attention she desired. 

"Ah… I… No," Vegeta stumbled answering, unsure why the child would hold any interest in him. In his _very_ limited experience with babies, all he had come to learn was that he was very good at making them cry. 

"Well, that is about to change," Bulma raised her voice even louder than her now wailing daughter. Placing Bra into the uncertain man's arms, she helped him position her appropriately. And then, almost the split second Bra was secure in Vegeta's grasp, the infant stopped crying and simply began staring at her father with a slow forming smile on her face. Reaching out her closest arm to him, she began patting him on the cheek, laughing happily as she did so. "Yep, I definitely think she likes you," Bulma explained as she skimmed her hand over her daughter's head. 

"All right, that is enough," Radditz startled the group as he walked in front of Vegeta, having had more than enough of the 'family' scene, he moved to rip the girl from his enemy's arms. And, to Bra's possible detriment, he would have succeeded had Vegeta not instinctively spun to avoid the man's greedy hands. 

"I may not be an expert, but I doubt an infant should be handled so roughly," Vegeta scowled at the warrior, for someone who claimed to be so deeply infatuated with his woman, their child together seemed of much less consequence to him. 

"He is right, Radditz," Bulma turned to glare at her temperamental mate. "Bra looks perfectly content with Vegeta."

As if yet another person believed dead had descended from Radditz's ship, an utterly stunned Vegeta and Garock shrieked in unison, "BRA!" It was several moments before either man could speak, Garock being the first, "Did you just call that child Bra?" The elder man voiced the question as he stared back and forth from child to mother in disbelief. 

"Yes, that is what we named her, what of it?" Radditz voiced angrily. He knew allowing the woman to have her way in naming the child would come back to haunt him. Damn his weakness!

Garock grabbed Vegeta's shoulder to stop him from saying anything further on the matter; the coincidence would be left at that. "It is nothing, the name is just familiar. It must be common among various planets."

Bulma closed her eyes as she nodded in understanding, "well, yes, it is a beautiful name; it would not shock me to hear so." Opening her eyes, she was surprised to see her mate and the proud man holding her daughter exchanging angry glances. What was she missing? "Um, you know what, if we are going to stay here, then perhaps I should grab some things off of the ship to bring to our temporary chambers." Deciding to remove her daughter from the increasingly hostile situation, Bulma lifted her arms to retrieve the girl, but Vegeta's sharp voice halted her. 

"There is no need," Vegeta stopped her abruptly as he explained, "I will have my staff retrieve the items." Carefully noting Radditz's reaction to having foreign soldiers on his ship, he watched the all too expected volatile reaction.  

"Not without my accompanying them," the larger man demanded. He knew Vegeta would have his ship searched during the process. 

"Very well," Vegeta smirked as he turned to look upon Garock. "Take these ten men," he pointed to the squad next to them, "and have them follow Radditz aboard to retrieve our guests' belongings and have the ship registered." Vegeta turned back to his fellow Saiya-jin to clarify. "It is protocol."

"Fine," Radditz glared at the man before moving back towards his vessel. He could control himself for now; all too soon he would be the one giving the orders. "Come on, Atae."

Bulma glanced back towards Radditz briefly before looking upon her daughter. "If it is all the same to you, Radditz, I would rather take Bra to our new chambers. Check out the new digs," she explained playfully. 

"Atae," he said her name in a somewhat threatening tone, immediately erasing the smile upon the woman's face. Seeing her reactions, he quickly corrected himself. "Very well," he opted to be more compliant. She would not be gone from his side for too long. Turning back to his ship, Radditz, followed by Garock and the squad boarded the craft, leaving Bulma, Bra and Vegeta to themselves. 

"I wish he would not be so difficult all the time," she mumbled to herself before turning back to the very much eavesdropping Vegeta.  "Um, so, would you mind terribly showing us to our room?" Bulma asked a little nervously. She was not certain why he continued to stare at her so intensely. Silently nodding, Vegeta gestured her to follow him. After no more than a few paces, she covered her lips to hide a chuckle. "You know, you do not have to keep holding my daughter. I think she has quieted down now."

Vegeta raised a brow as the woman moved up to walk next to him. "I fail to see the need to alter the status quo. Especially since the alternative is a shrieking child. My acutely sharpened ears can not handle such noise," he paused to briefly glance at the Bulma like clone. "Unless you feel I am handling the task inadequately," he asked, he surely would not have known otherwise. 

"No, no," Bulma was fast in her assertion, "You are doing fine, it is just… I do not know. The man Radditz described you as was not one who could be so gentle with an infant. He led me to believe you were highly dangerous." Bulma calmly stroked her drowsy daughter's back as she watched her little eyelids float open and closed. She seemed fully contented in this stranger's hold.

"Well, I _am_ very dangerous," Vegeta insisted. He did not take well to having his all around 'evilness' questioned. "Just not to women and children who pose me no threat," he explained briskly, as he felt her delicate hand accidentally brush against his cheek while caressing her daughter. It was eerie how perfect the resemblance was. 

"I see," Bulma half chuckled as she took the man's words as only being limitedly sincere. It was not long after that, the trio arrived before two massive doors that Vegeta opened to guide them into a plush room. Once inside, Bulma took in the darkly toned chamber, which had only meager sunlight shining through several windows that aligned the gloomy walls of the room. 

"Is the room to your satisfaction?" Vegeta was not certain why he was asking, let alone actually cared, but for some reason he did. 

"Very much," Bulma was quick to agree, "You spoil us with such lavishness." Turning back to gaze upon her daughter, Bulma noticed the now sleeping form of her child. "I guess I should put her down," she walked over to gently take Bra from Vegeta's arms. To her surprise, the moment the girl was no longer within her father's grasp, she awoke and began to cry as she reached towards the person she wished to be held by once more. "Shh, Bra," Bulma bounced the young girl, hoping she would calm down. "I do not understand why she is acting like this," Bulma tried to rationalize as she frowned towards her unknown lover. "She hates to be held by anyone besides me, I mean she weeps every time Radditz tried to hold her! And yet, she seems to prefer you." 

The former Saiya-jin prince was far from being able to offer a solution to the rather perplexing predicament, but he did know one thing, his ears would not be able to handle the screaming for long. Retaking his position as the girl's means of transportation, he lifted her back from his mother's arms, not too surprised as she halted her crying almost immediately. "Much better," Vegeta released a sigh of relief as the wailing ended and the infant girl in his arms reached her tiny fingers up to grasp at his face. Touching his cheek, nose, and then finally resting on his bottom lip, she laughed as she pulled it up and down playfully. 

Bulma could not help but chuckle as a small child was overtaking the seemingly stoic man. "I am truly sorry about this, I am sure you have better things to do than play babysitter to an infant you just met."

"Actually," Vegeta, against his better judgment, offered slyly, "I was on my way to have dinner prior to your arrival. I do not suppose you would be interested in joining us?"  
  


The suggestive note in his voice was not lost on Bulma as she questioned lightly, "and just who exactly makes up the 'us' part?" 

"My son and I," the confession seemed to elicit some shock from the woman as he looked down to meet her crystal blue eyes. They were just identical replicas of _hers_.

"I knew it!" the petite woman snapped her fingers in recognition. "You are too good with Bra not to have any children of your own. So, how old is your son?"

"Eleven," the answer was swift, "he only recently came into my life though. I had not known of his existence much more than a year ago." Vegeta was not sure why he was telling her this, but for some uncertain reason, he felt comfortable doing so. 

"Wow, that must have been difficult for you. I can not imagine being kept from Bra for a minute, let alone ten years of her life," the empathy was evident in her tone. "You must have been infuriated with his mother to have such a secret kept from you for so long."

Vegeta flinched as he heard his deceased mate mentioned, "Much to the contrary, she had thought I was dead, and so she raised our son in my absence. She deserved my praise, not my fury for all that she had done for him."

Raising a brow, the blue haired woman picked up on a regretful tone in his voice. "You speak of her in the past tense; does she no longer live with you and your son?"

Closing his eyes, Vegeta's entire facial expression fell as the question reverberated throughout his mind. "No, she was killed not long after we finally found one another again." Silence filled the room as his confession sparked an intense moment of awkwardness, but it was soon after snuffed by the young girl in his arms who released his lips to wrap what she could of her small arms around his neck, as if she could sense the pain welling inside him, and in appeasement she wanted to comfort him.  

"I am sorry I brought up the subject, I did not wish to bring you pain," Bulma whispered as she tentatively touched his shoulder, startled when he shivered under her gesture. Retracting her hand, she felt a crimson cover her cheeks. "I am sorry again," she apologized thinking his flinching had to do with her invasion of his personal space. Little did she realize the mere touch of her delicate fingers invoked passionate memories of what he once shared with his mate.

"We should be heading to dinner then, my son is already expecting me." Vegeta thought a fast change in subject was in order to drown out the ominous tone suffocating the room. 

"Sure," Bulma followed in silence as they departed from her new room quietly. Feeling guilty about her insensitive question, she opted to remain quiet for their next journey. She was not certain what it was about the Saiya-jin emperor, but she felt something drawing her to him, and it seemed whatever it was had ensnared her daughter as well. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note: Ah, so Vegeta has met 'Atae' and Bra. How will Trunks handle seeing his mother's 'look-alike?' And what about Radditz? Will he be able to handle seeing his 'mate' and 'daughter's' attention being stolen by his former prince? And just what does the bulky man have up his sleeve for his enemy? Some of these questions and more will be answered next time… 


	3. Family Reunion

Surviving Together: Retribution   

Chapter 3 – Family Reunion

"Now if you are quite finished raping my ship, I would like to catch up with my mate," Radditz hissed the crude comment at Garock before spinning on his heel and heading off towards the castle that Vegeta and Bulma had disappeared into. 

"Not so fast," the elder man insisted before dismissing the crew who had found nothing of suspicion onboard the craft. "I have a few questions that need to be answered first."

Raising his brow in an accusing manner, the bulky Saiya-jin asked, "And just what may those questions be?"

Crossing his arms in a similar style as his counterpart, Garock explained, "Vegeta perhaps showed little interest in your resurrection, but I am not so lax in my curiosity. I remember reading the report from the Garchian invasion; even Vegeta himself witnessed the ki beam that blasted you into oblivion. So, if you do not mind, I would enjoy hearing a more extensive explanation of how you survived such an assault." The low growl that reverberated from the man's throat was not lost on Garock as he quickly realized the topic was not one the man enjoyed speaking on. Fortunately, he answered regardless.

"As I told Vegeta earlier, the blast did not kill me, but I was severely disabled. Foolishly I had thought for some time one of my crewmates would come to my aid, but after two days of lying in a fungus infested swamp, I realized if I wanted to live, I had to take matters into my own hands. So, using what little energy I had left, I crawled to my keypad that had been thrown several meters away from my body after I crashed. It took me several hours of blood and sweat to pull my broken bones to the controller, but once I did I summoned my ship, and then, with my last breath of energy, dragged myself inside. I did not have the strength to punch in a course so I turned the ship on autopilot and then let it do all the thinking for me as I finally allowed myself to pass out from all the pain." He paused, seeing a burning question in his listener's eyes, he allowed him to speak.

"So you ran away, that is not a very Saiya-jin thing to do," the comment invoked an infuriated reaction from the spiky haired man as he was quick to defend. 

"I had no other choice! And since Vegeta and Nappa seemed thoroughly uninterested in my state, I felt vindicated in my actions!" Once Garock recoiled from the larger man's angry response, he decided to briskly finish the rest of his story so he could be on his way to seeing his mate once more. "Anyway, it was not until months later that I awoke in the comfort of a bed, surrounded by an alien species that had been kind enough to care for me. I was fortunate that I, by sheer luck, landed on a planet of peaceful peoples, and once I was well again, I took back off to space, and as you can see, have done very well for myself in the past few years," he gestured to his ship as proof. 

"Then you have given up the life of purging and universal domination to become a what? A space pirate?" The skepticism in the elder's voice was prominent; he knew there had to be more to the story. 

"In a manner, yes," Radditz confirmed the truth with a repressed smirk. "Believe it or not, I am an impressive force in the western realms. I control much of the territory."

"Ah, I see, then you are here because you wish to make claim on Vegeta's region." Now the pieces were adding up, "And of course you wish to seek revenge as well since you seem very adamant about blaming Vegeta for _your_ failure. Plus, judging by the appearance of your lovely mate, I would venture to guess you were also envious of Vegeta's affair with Bulma all those years ago, which is why you found yourself drawn to a female who is nearly her replica."  
  


Shrugging complacently the husky male confessed, "I will not lie, I do hold some aversion to my former prince, and obviously no red-blooded man could deny that Vegeta's former whore was quite a piece of ass, but I have no desire to claim Vegeta's holdings. I mean, after all, how could a low class Saiya-jin ever dream to match up against the great Super Saiya-jin prince?" Finishing the question with a laugh, Radditz felt he had no further need to speak on the subject of his past. "Now if you do not mind, my mate has been stolen by _your_ emperor, so if you would so kindly guide me to her." He stepped aside to allow room for the man who held a better understanding of the grounds to guide him. Bulma had been in the presence of her former lover for much too long. It was more than time to put an end to it, and begin his plot to destroy his rival. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What's wrong?" Bulma asked of her unknowing mate as she witnessed him nervously stop their journey outside of two massive doors. 

Taking several long breaths, Vegeta turned back to the woman who was the spitting image of his lost mate, and quietly explained, "Nothing is wrong, per say, I just think it would be wise to warn you before you go in that—"  

"Dad, what took you so long?" Trunks managed to complete the question as he threw open the doors, Vegeta's ki having already alerted him of his father's presence. Stopping dead in his tracks, he raised an eyebrow as his narrowed line of vision took in the sight before him, "what are you doing with a baby in your arms?" 

The young female in question began to giggle, as she seemed to focus her eyes on her brother, reaching an arm towards him, it almost appeared as though she was waving to him gleefully. "She's my daughter," the oblivious female forced the boy's attention upon herself as she tried to explain. "I know this must seem strange but, I am—"

"Mom!!" Trunks cried as he instinctively tackled the woman to the ground in a tight bear hug. Tears began to fill his eyes as he buried his face against her chest. "You're back!! I can't believe it!!" Too thrilled by the news to care about rational explanations, the boy was also much too excited to notice the woman he embraced attempting to pull away from him. 

"Boy!" Vegeta used a somewhat harsh tone to assure he would gain the child's attention, once he did, he ordered, "let her go."  
  


As mother and son rose to their feet, a joint sense of confusion spread over the two, but for very different reasons. "Why does he think I am his mother?" Bulma asked somewhat nervously as she looked from son to father. Something was clearly being kept from her. 

"What do you mean I 'think' you are my mother? I _know_ you are!" Trunks informed the woman before turning back to his father for guidance, but the look upon the elder Saiya-jin's face sent a grave feeling of foreboding through him, "Dad?"

Silently walking over to the mother of the child he carried, Vegeta gently returned his daughter to her caretaker before apologizing, "I am sorry about this, but I will be more than happy to explain after I have spoken to my son."  
  


Nodding compliantly, Bulma adjusted her daughter comfortably in her arms, and following Vegeta's guidance, headed into his private dining hall, leaving father and son to discuss what had just been witnessed. 

"Why did you make Mom leave?" Trunks glanced from the closed door back towards his father. 

Shaking his head, Vegeta placed a strong hand on his son's shoulder, slowly explaining, "your mother is dead, Trunks, you know that. You saw her after I returned from Cooler's ship, at the funeral, and when we," he paused, "and when we laid her to rest." The admission was more difficult for him to confess then he would have imagined. "The woman you just saw is named Atae. She is the mate of an old associate of mine, and will temporarily be staying on this planet. Now if that is going to be too difficult for you—"

"It's Mom," Trunks shook his father's hand away as he disagreed assuredly, "it looked like her, it smelled like her, it sounded like her, it felt like her, it is her! No two people can be _that_ identical in this universe!" 

"People do not just rise from the dead and take on new identities, Trunks," Vegeta spoke calmly. He understood the boy's desire for the impossibility to be a reality, but he could not allow the false hope to prevail. The consequences could parallel the original devastation felt upon his mate's loss. "Look," he sighed while slowly lowering himself to one knee, putting him just below his son's eyelevel. "I know this is strange, hell, I am having a hard time processing it myself, but a fact is a fact. Your mother is gone, and the woman you just saw merely bears a striking resemblance, so do not let your hopes build a false sense of security. Now tell me you understand."

Shaking his head Trunks crossed his arms as he nodded slowly. "I understand what you are trying to tell me, Dad, but I am not nuts. I saw Mom, I helped you bury her, I know what happened but," the young man blinked a few times before continuing, "look, I may not have all the answers but I know that was Mom. I am her son! Up until her death I spent nearly every waking minute with her, I would know if it was just some person that looked like her!"  
  


"Trunks," Vegeta cut in a little less patiently as he rose to his feet, "I am her mate, do you not think I would know if it was her? Yes, I too feel a connection with her, but it is only because her appearance invokes old memories within me, as I am sure the same is occurring within you. Now I will only say one more time, your mother is gone. So when we go into the dining hall, you will be polite and respectful to the woman in there, but do not dare attempt to insist your fantasies upon her. Are we clear?"

After mumbling a "yes, Dad," Trunks stomped his way over to the massive doors and then threw them open to allow himself access. Once inside, he walked over to the dining table, and took a seat next to his mother and sister. "I am sorry about earlier," he first apologized before any questions could be asked about his seemingly strange behavior. "It is just that you look a lot like my mother, and in my stupid hope of seeing her ghost, I suppose, I tackled you. I am sorry." 

Nodding quietly in limited understanding, Bulma ran her fingers briefly through the boy's hair, before raising his chin to look upon her. "It's all right. No harm was done. Your father told me her death was recent, but if I had any idea she looked similar to me—"

"Not similar," Trunks interrupted quickly, "_exactly_. You could be her twin—hey, what planet are you from?!"

"Trunks," Vegeta grunted the boy's name as he took a seat across from the group. "She came here to eat, not to be badgered with your questions." When the boy sunk away from his mother, and in his own seat, the emperor added, "Besides, your mother's planet was destroyed along with all its inhabitants. Even _if_ she had had a twin, we would not be looking at her alive and well today."

"Way to rain on my parade," the half Saiya-jin muttered as he began to fill up his plate. It seemed none of his questions would be answered while his father was so dead set against learning the truth, a truth Trunks knew deep down in his heart. Deciding to take a more neutral route, the boy instead questioned, "so how old is your daughter?" he pointed to the blue haired girl, suddenly wondering what it would be like to have a little sister. 

"Oh, um," Bulma stuttered as she lowered the spoon of soup she had been tasting prior to the men's entrance. The situation was awkward enough, remaining silent she estimated would only make matters worse. Bouncing the quieted girl upon her knee, she answered pensively, "almost two months". It is very exciting to be a new mother. Little Bra here is my first."

"Bra!?" Trunks spit the food he had rammed into his mouth out as soon as he heard the name. Glaring at his father, angered that this important fact had been kept from him, he then turned back to his mother. "You named you daughter _Bra_?" he wanted to reaffirm the fact, though already knowing he had heard right after seeing the irate look upon his father's face. 

Blinking in confusion, Bulma hesitantly answered, "Yes, what is so strange about the name that everyone seems so up in arms about it?"

Jumping upon his chair, Trunks happily explained, "My Mom used to go by the name of 'Bra' on the planet we lived on before this one. She picked that name because she was always so fond of it. So much so, in fact, that she always told me if she ever had a daughter, she would name her 'Bra!'" Even Vegeta had been taken aback by the admission; he had no knowledge of his mate's fondness of the name. He had always assumed her selection of it was sheer arbitrary. 

"Well that is some coincidence," Bulma responded nervously, she could think of no other response to the bizarre parallelism. Pulling her eyes from the young boy she quietly returned to eating her meal, hoping the subject would pass, and the Saiya-jins seated with her would let things be. Unfortunately, the youngest of the pair was having none of it. 

"So, what planet are you from again?" 

"Trunks!" Vegeta hissed more violently than before, the child seemed unable to follow simple directions. He would have further scolded the boy had the group not suddenly been enlarged by two people.  

"Atae," Radditz called to his mate as he walked over and placed an elongated kiss upon her lips. "I hope you did not miss me too much," he boasted before taking a seat next to her, uninterested in receiving permission from his host. 

Suppressing the growl Vegeta felt catching in his throat, he beckoned Garock to him so they could quickly compare notes. Once they briskly whispered their findings to one another, Garock took a seat across from Trunks. 

"Who the hell are you?" the demi-Saiya-jin demanded rudely as he glared at the man acting much too cozy with his mother. 

Shifting his gaze from Bulma to her son, Radditz forced himself to suppress a smirk as he looked upon his enemy's firstborn. "My, my, my, what a mouth you have. He sounds just like you, Vegeta, when you were a brat." 

Raising his eyebrow, the young man turned to his father for guidance, "How does this guy know what you were like as a kid, Dad?"

Knitting his brows, Vegeta glared at his subordinate for being so brash with his intrusions, before turning back to his son. "Sitting across from you is a second class Saiya-jin named Radditz. He used to be on a squad with Nappa and I back when we worked for Freeza." 

"Nappa, ne? How is the old man?" Radditz questioned with a tight smirk, fully aware that he had rudely prevented the half bread from questioning his father further. Intelligence had already told him the man was dead, but he had not received all the details of his former superior's demise. 

"He's dead," Vegeta answered, allowing the interruption because it arose in him memories of his deceased beloved. With a half smile elevating his lips, he finished his explanation, "Bulma killed him." Though technically he had ensured the man's death, she had shown an impressive amount of courage against the brute, earning her sole credit.  

A blusterous laugh filled the room as the burly man slammed his hand down on the table in mirth, "Bulma?" He nearly choked on the word as he held his stomach to control his cackling, "The weak earthling? She couldn't kill a foot soldier let alone an elite! You can't possibly expect me to believe that ludicrous—" his thought was swiftly cut short as one lavender haired son of the presumed dead woman sprang across the table and tackled the insulting man, effectively throttling him across the room with one swift rage invoked movement. 

"Trunks, no, stop," Vegeta sarcastically made the command as he remained unworriedly seated, not in the least bit displeased when his son opted to ignore the suggestion. If he had not jumped across the table, Vegeta would be asphyxiating the life out of the disrespectful bastard himself. 

"How dare you disgrace my mother! She was a stronger person than you could ever dream to be!" the young man bellowed as he threw a series of punches at the man. For some time he felt his blows were having the desired effect upon his victim, but his beliefs were brutally crushed when he felt his arms being stopped mid-punch by the larger man's tight grasp. 

"Rule number one of Saiya-jin battle, boy, never attack unless you are sure you can win," the warning came with an almost sadistic smirk as the once second class Saiya-jin returned the boy's attack by pummeling him across the room. 

Vegeta's quick reflexes prevented what would have been a dangerous assault as he sped across the room; just fast enough to catch his son before he could be sent through the wall. Once the dizzy boy was securely placed back on his feet, Vegeta turned his fury towards his fellow pure blood as he dematerialized and rematerialized to catch the elder man off guard, roughly slamming him against the wall. "How dare you come into my home, insult my mate and assault my son! I should kill you where you stand for such an outrage!"

"I'd like to see you try," the fast challenge was enough to ensure a bloody battle right in the middle of the dining hall, but fortunately the voice of reason seemed to squelch the fire. 

"With all due respect, gentlemen, this is neither the time nor the place for such a display of Saiya-jin egotism, especially not in front of an innocent woman and her crying child." Garock's nod simultaneously twisted both Radditz and Vegeta's heads towards Bulma, who was gently bouncing her daughter against her chest, attempting to calm the clearly distressed child. 

Forcing his anger to diminish, Vegeta released Radditz, though not before whispering that the battle was "far from over." Walking to the mirror image of his mate, the emperor was the first to apologize. "You will have to excuse my manners; I should not have acted so violently in the presence of an infant." 

"Please do not apologize," Bulma's voice could be lowered as her daughter's wailing slowly lessened to silence. It was as if the child knew her father and brother were no longer in danger. "The only person who was out of line here was Radditz," she shot an ashamed glare towards her believed mate as she strolled past the former prince to quietly scold Radditz. Seemingly oblivious to the fact that the three other men in the room could all still hear her icy words even though they were a few decibels below normal, "How the hell dare you attack a child!" Those surrounding got the distinct impression she would have slapped the man along with her comment had she not have been holding Bra. 

"That _child_ attacked me first!" Radditz gritted his teeth to control his anger at her accusation. She may be his mate, but she had no right to publicly scold him for an action which was in his full right to take. 

"He would not have attacked you if you had not insulted his mother," Bulma reminded wisely as she shifted her daughter to a more secure hold in her arms. She calmed her tone so as not to startle her daughter once more. "And even if his actions were unprovoked, you are a grown man who should have had the fortitude to control his anger."

"You do not know of which you speak," the burly man growled, hoping to finish the humiliating exchange as swiftly as possible. "The boy is Saiya-jin, not a weakling like that of your kind. Child Saiya-jins do not need the fierce maternal protection you falsely insist upon."

Blinking for several long moments, Bulma felt herself at a loss for words. She had never felt more afraid in her short recollection of life with the man. "I seriously hope you do not mean that." Her gaze lowered to her daughter then back to her false mate, "because if this is foreshadowing how you intend to treat our daughter then perhaps I should consider seeking out a new place of dwelling, since I sure as hell will not stand by idly as you implement such an apathetic philosophy of fathering."

Silence filled the room as the threat filtered through the minds of him who the comment was directed to and those individuals who were eavesdropping. It seemed her final words left a profound impression upon more than just the focus of her caution. "This is not the time, Atae." The brawny man took a menacing step closer to his mate, silencing any further comment on the matter. "Go to our room, we will finish this later," he ordered so quietly that both Vegeta and Trunks had strained to hear the command. 

Bulma, for no other reason than to extract her daughter from the volatile situation, sidestepped her mate and headed for the exit at a sluggish speed, refusing to allow him the belief that he had intimidated her into leaving. Once nearly departed, she twisted back towards her hosts, offering abbreviated goodbyes before disappearing from the room with a grace that had commanded all male attention. "Make certain she is all right," Vegeta quietly ordered of his diplomatic liaison, who bowed obediently and immediately proceeded to follow after the female. 

Following Garock's departure, Trunks stormed over to the lower level Saiya-jin and hissed warningly, "You may have caught me off guard with your slightly less than pathetic strength, but I am warning you, if you so much as make either of them unhappy again, I'll kill you myself!" Trunks poked the man in the stomach before proceeding with his own departure. He did not even have to look at his father to know the man wanted to have a 'private chat' with the bastard. He hoped it would be a long one. 

Vegeta kept his arms tightly crossed as he glared at his subordinate. He had to admit a chill of excitement sped down his spine as he saw the blatant problems the couple shared. Radditz was never worthy of a proper mate, especially one that likened his own so much. He did not even have to be intimately acquainted with the woman to know she deserved better. He could only hope, for her sake of course, she would quickly learn so. "Your mate seems very wise; I can not imagine what she sees in you."

Gritting his teeth, Radditz attempted to compose himself. "What she sees in me is none of your damn business. In fact nothing about Atae is any of your business, so why don't you make the wise decision here and stay a healthy distance away from her. After all, I would hate to have to challenge you to a Kyousou Netoru. The foreboding threat was completely lost on Vegeta as he belted out a laugh of his own. 

"You challenge me to a Kyousou Netoru? I dare say, man, you would be quite stupid to do so. It would serve only to gently place your lovely mate and daughter into my arms. So be very careful what bullheaded decisions you make, for they might just end up benefiting me," Vegeta tossed an empowered smirk towards the second class Saiya-jin as he began his descent towards the exit. Not bothering to turn his back towards the man, he casually threatened, "And do not ever lay a finger on my son again, because if you do, your mate and daughter will be left alone in the universe faster than you will have a chance to see my attack coming." 

Clenching his fists, Radditz took several long deep breaths as he found himself left completely alone in the dining hall. 'Savor your false sense of superiority while you can, Vegeta, because once I reveal my true power, your son will not be the only one outclassed.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Translations:  Kyousou – Competition or Contest

                      Netoru – To steal another's lover

                      Atae – Gift or Godsend 

Author's Note: Oh… Sounds like Radditz has a plan. Is he really as strong as he thinks he is? Will he be a serious threat to Vegeta and Trunks? But more importantly, will Vegeta use this little incident of trouble in paradise between Bulma and Radditz to bring himself closer to his unknown mate? Find out next time…


	4. Treacherous Bodies

Surviving Together: Retribution   

Chapter 4 – Treacherous Bodies

_"Vegeta," she whispered as she sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him lovingly, "I was so worried about you."_

_Vegeta smirked as he heard her speak. He always loved the way his name sounded rolling off her lips. Closing his eyes he took in her scent, she always smelled of lavender, and it always drove him wild. He nestled his head in her soft hair as he allowed his body to begin to relax. However, as soon as he did, Bulma pulled away from him as she scratched her nose. "You smell awful." _

_Vegeta frowned at how she was ruining his moment. "Well what did you expect?" he asked a little more irritated than he wanted to sound._

_Bulma only shook her head at him as she rose and went into the washroom. He heard her turn the water on and then come back out. She took his hands and guided him inside. "You need to bathe," she said simply as he pulled what was left of his armor over his head. His spandex suit came next as she pulled it down to his waist and then stopped to shut the water off. "Get in." _

_Vegeta looked at her sideways. "You do realize a shower is much quicker than taking a bath," he remarked as he started to pull his boots off. _

_"I know, but it's not as much fun," she grinned as she pulled her shirt off and then her pants. _

_Vegeta watched her rather surprised as she stripped as well. "I thought this was my bath," he smirked as he stopped undressing to wait for an explanation. _

_"Oh, it is," Bulma reflected his smirk as she then reached behind her back and unhooked her bra strap. After slowly discarding the garment, as Vegeta's eyes became fixated on her ample mounds, Bulma seductively slid her hands down to her hips, leisurely stripped from her body the final garment that was covering her. Vegeta looked on in utter bliss at the perfect woman before him. _

_Bulma smiled at his reaction as she walked over to him. She caught his eyes with her own as she grabbed the remaining elastic of his suit. She then slowly pulled his uniform off, unveiling the battered, yet very aroused man in front of her. She slowly slipped a hand up his body to bring herself back to eye level with him. "It's my turn to bathe you," she whispered as she then stepped into the water and slid under the inches of warmth. _

_Extending her arms to the prince to guide him in, she watched as Vegeta slowly stepped into the water and sat down in between her thighs. Bulma then very welcomingly spread her legs completely and grabbed his shoulders to guide him to lay back. Vegeta let out a relaxing moan as he laid his head between her two soft breasts. He then tenderly wrapped his tail around her thigh before he closed his eyes. For once in his life he felt content, he felt as though he finally had something to ease his pain. _

~*~*~

Vegeta's eyes flew open to the dejected realization that the woman he could almost feel pressing beneath his body was not real. "Gods, woman, when will you ever cease to haunt me?" he demanded softly, though knowing in truth the reason her memory was haunting him so vividly now was because of his mate's carbon copy. 

_Atae_. 

He had never been as unnerved by a sight as that of his subordinate's mate. Her appearance was flawlessly accurate to that of his late mate, so much so that had he not been of rational mind, he might have pounced on the woman as Trunks had in unfathomable delight. But reality had become an icy comfort at night, never letting him forget that his mate was dead, because he was not strong enough to protect her. 

"Damn my stupidity!" Vegeta slammed his hand down roughly upon his empty bed; no amount of time would ever heal the scars left from Bulma's death. Not a single night passes that he does not crawl under his lonely sheets and stare blankly at the vacant space beside him, willing to see his love there, but never receiving his wish. 

It had appalled him to think Garock would suggest he attempt to find a female to fill the void of his mate. It was simply impossible! Hers is the only face he ever wishes to gaze upon, her body the only one he desires to hold, her voice the only one he needs to hear whisper loving words, her lips the only ones he yearns to bask in the nectar of, hers only _hers_.  

Rising from his bed, Vegeta threw on a shirt and boots. There would be no sleep tonight for him; his mind was too heavily weighed by images of his lost love. Throwing the doors to his chambers open, the former Saiya-jin prince set off towards his training facility. If he couldn't sleep off his restlessness, he would beat it out of his ragged body. Bypassing several more public corridors, he managed to slip into his private facility unnoticed. The last thing he needed was to be bothered by suspicious spectators who could use his agitated state as further proof of his deteriorating sanity. He did not want to be mutinied against because of his recent inabilities as a monarch. 

Finally reaching his destination, Vegeta took a deep breath before closing the doors behind him. This was what he needed, he decided as he scanned around the empty training room, time to himself; time to detoxify, time to forget. Walking to the center of the room, he intended to begin his session with a few stretches, when a familiar scent tickled his nose, _lavender._

Helpless to do anything but follow the gentle aroma, Vegeta found himself stepping onto the communal balcony that swept a quarter away around the castle, connecting several common rooms, along with his training facility, together. It only took him a matter of seconds to pinpoint where the fragrance was being emulated from. "Bulma," the name rolled off his lips before he had a chance to correct himself. The angelic form sitting quietly atop of the railing, head down, arms wrapped tightly around herself, was the spitting image of his mate. If only it _was_ her. Clenching and releasing his fist, he scolded himself for the slip, before disarmingly strolling towards his guest. "Atae," she heard him that time. It was evident by the shocked expression upon her face as she turned to briefly look at him. She turned away quickly to wipe what he realized were tears that had been falling from her cheeks. His blood boiled. "Is everything all right?"

"Oh, yes, of course," she finished dabbing her eyes with the long sleeve of the nightshirt she wore. "I am so sorry if I have disturbed you," she twisted away from him to lower herself onto the balcony. "I should be getting to bed," she hoped to make a fast escape, but Vegeta was having none of it. 

"Wait," he gently clasped her arm, forcing her to remain by his side. "Has one of my men distressed you? I will have him punished immediately." The vow was more of a ploy to force the truth from her. Given three guesses as to what had upset her, Radditz would have been assumed all times. 

"No," she shook her head with a half laugh. "Your staff and soldiers have been nothing but kind to me. I really have no complaints." She tried once more to leave, but the grip on her arm was too tight. It took nothing more than to see the concerned glimmer in his eyes to know she would not be leaving the balcony until he knew the truth. "It's personal," she whispered dropping her head in shame. 

"Did he strike you?" Vegeta asked while roaming his eyes over her body, attempting to decipher any hidden injuries. 'If he so much as laid a finger on her…'

"Of course not!" the defensive note shocked the prince, as with a force he had not expected she shook from his hold. "Radditz loves me; he would never raise a hand to hurt me!" It irked her that this man thought the worst of her mate when he had been nothing but caring to her since the first moment she could remember with him. 

"Well, perhaps not physically, but what of your tears?" he probed; it surprised him that the woman claimed her mate kept his temper in check with her. It was the cosmic opposite of everything he had ever heard from the man's bedmates back when they lived onboard Freeza's ship.  

"My tears are none of your business," she spat coldly; she had had enough of an emotional beating for one night. She did not need to be further badgered by a stranger on the subject. "Now if you will excuse me." She headed towards the doors that had led her outside, but her departure was once more stopped dead in its tracks as a barely spoken confession followed after her. 

"Gods, I miss that temper," Vegeta muttered softly, the woman's agitated state reminded him ever so much of his deceased mate. Turning back to stare blankly off into the abyss of night, he crossed his arms as he typically does, continuing to speak, not needing to turn around to know his guest was still standing behind him. "I did not mean to pry, but I never could stomach my mate's tears. I would turn rabid and demand she tell me what had unnerved her so I could make it right." He paused, briefly recalling the evening of her seventeenth birthday, the first night he experienced peace. Turning back around and facing his guest, Vegeta hardly finished, "you remind me of her, so my instincts kicked in. I am sorry."

Silence followed his announcement as several awkward moments ensued, neither adequately equipped to handle the bizarre situation. How does a woman respond to a stranger who looks upon her with the intimacy of a lover? Of course it was not her personally that invoked such attentions, but her appearance and the memories it invokes. "Your apology is accepted," she nodded neutrally, immediately after regretting her unsympathetic words as she saw, brief as it was, a flicker of disappointment flash across his eyes. 'What does he expect from me?' Sighing as her head shook back and forth in agitation, the blue haired beauty slowly walked back to her host. "I am so sorry you lost your mate," her words were as genuine as her intentions, "but you have to understand I am not her." The crushing blow came with a quarter turn jerk of Vegeta's head as he attempted to shield himself from the inevitable blow. It bade him no protection. 

"Do _not_ feel inclined to tell me what I already know," he advised with a hint of anger, he did not have the patience or energy to be allowed to even consider the possibility of some mystical resurrection of his mate. The unavoidable downfall would be too costly to his already tattered soul. 

"Vegeta," she had no idea she was adding salt to an open wound by whispering his name in the same affectionate manner he had been used to with his deceased love. Lifting her gentle hand to encompass his cheek, she slowly turned his fallen head back to face her. Parting her lips to offer her sympathies, not a syllable could be uttered as two hungry lips came crashing down upon her in a heated fury. Her first instinct had been to push away, as she attempted to by placing her hands against his blazing chest, but her forceful touch slowly turned limp as she felt an inexplicable heat speed through her body, as if he was in some way forcing his desire for his dead mate into her every pore. Without chance for a word of protest, the kiss was deepened as her body was pulled flush against his, his muscular arms encircling her in an overprotective manner. As if to let her go would be to watch her fade away from him. But that was in fact what had to happen. 

Forcing down the unfamiliar lust the man invoked, she balled up her fists, and as best she could, pushed against his tight hold. The mild pressure seemed just enough to bring the man to his senses as he pulled away from his mate's replica. "I—I don't know what came over me," the confession was both truth and lie; truth, because he never would have expected to feel an impulse so strong to kiss any other female than that of his true mate, but also a lie, because he knew where the impulse arose from, _need_; need to have his mate back, need to taste her lips once more—_her lips_. Oh gods, they tasted like _hers_. 'My mind is playing tricks on me,' he told himself, not allowing the possibility of any other explanation to be considered. 'This is a completely different woman,' the sentence repeated in his mind over and over again as he tried to sort through his unstable feelings. The cold slap that followed his disjointed thoughts seemed to help.

"How dare you!" Bulma screamed in embarrassment, both for being accosted, and for realizing that some part of her had enjoyed it. In the year she could remember being with her mate, sleeping by his side, massaging his lips, caressing his fit body, never once had he invoked the kind of passion this man had with one kiss. Though she had believed her pregnancy was souring her to any thoughts of intimacy, it now seemed her beliefs were misguided. That it was not her asexual disposition towards men in general, but towards her mate specifically that was to blame. An awakening that was nothing short of rude and unwelcome to a woman mated to the father of her daughter. "I am not some toy for your enjoyment! You cannot just place your hands on me as if you own me! I am a mated woman!!"

The last point seemed to be driven in particularly hard as Vegeta winced openly in revulsion. 'How the hell did that brute ever convince this prize to love him?' the question seemed more complex than his advanced mind could ever calculate. All that could be deduced beyond reasonable doubt was that some form of manipulation had to have been involved, "A mated woman who was alone on my balcony weeping, no doubt because of the foul temper of her precious lover!" Another slap. That one almost stung. 

"I thought I previously made it clear that I would not stand for Radditz being insulted in my presence. I owe my happiness to him, so I will not remain idle as you slander him." And then it made sense. She felt indebted to him, no doubt for the rescue from a… what had Radditz said? A cruel prince? Yes, that was it; loyalty, _not_ love. 

Vegeta felt a smirk rise across his lips. "There is no 'slander' in my words, woman." The term discomforted him for a moment, gods he was already calling her by his lost mate's endearment. His mind was slipping. "I have every reason to be genuinely concerned for your well-being, and not just because you reflect my mate, but as a woman in general. I spent the bulk of my life sharing joined chambers with Radditz. I know his exploits, more specifically, with women. Though I do not know the details of his 'rescue' of you, I know enough of the bastard to be sure his intentions were not as chivalrous as you naively seem to think." A third attempted slap, but this time Vegeta stopped her hand dead in the air, and using her momentum against her, pulled her body closer towards him. "Be wary, Atae," he whispered lowly into her ear. His hot breath once more igniting the heat she had almost managed to fully snuff out of her body. "It may have been eleven plus years since I last saw your mate, but I know a foe when I see one. So be careful, I would hate to see you get caught in our practically inevitable feud." He allowed himself to run his nose through her hair, inhaling that nearly forgotten lavender scent before pulling away from her, though not before smelling a more musky, unintentional fragrance that warmed his veins. It seemed he was not the only one aroused by their closeness. "Feel free to use the shower adjoining my private training room. I am sure you would not want to return to your mate in the state I so 'unwelcomingly' put you in." Though she knew the proper interpretation of his suggestion would have been to assume he was referring to his scent left by their kiss, Bulma embarrassingly knew better. "Goodnight, Atae," he tossed a brief smirk in her direction before disappearing back into the room he had emerged from. 

Once he was gone, Bulma grasped for the balcony rail to stop herself from collapsing, 'Gods, what has he done to me?' She tried to stiffen her wobbly knees so she could too make her own departure. After waiting for several minutes to ensure he had cleared out of the training room, she begrudgingly followed his advice. She could not very well climb into bed with her mate, smelling of Vegeta and her poorly controlled arousal. The consequences would be dangerous, more so for the prince than her mate. She knew how strong Radditz was. He had barely shown a fraction of his true power throttling Trunks across the room. She feared what would happen if he turned that rage on Vegeta. 

_Vegeta._

How could she possibly rationalize what he had so easily done to her body? She was like a melting virgin under his touch! His touch… Oh, but what woman would not be? For such a powerful, dangerous looking man, as he embraced her, she had felt as though she was under the most gentle of attentions. So much passion, without the brutal and demanding force she felt when Radditz kissed her. 

_Radditz._

"Oh gods, I have betrayed him!" The gasp came as she arrived in the washroom, the proof of her statement lying in her location. 'What have I done?' she looked at her body with disdain, as if the weakness was its fault alone. 'If only I had just stayed and hashed out my disagreements with Radditz, none of this would have happened.' The argument still unnerved her to this very second. Yes, she was firm in her anger at her mate's cavalier attitude towards his behavior in regards to Trunks, and yes, he deserved to be stormed out on after threatening to desensitize her daughter, similarly, in a true 'Saiya-jin' nature, but damn it if he had to follow such insistences by calling her a 'weakling mother.' 

So what if she was not versed in Saiya-jin customs, she was _not_ Saiya-jin! And her daughter was not fully either; there is no reason to allow the cub to grow into a battle thirsty warrior. She would not stand for watching her daughter be placed in danger, and she sure as hell would not stand for being insulted because she wanted to see her daughter live past her eighteenth birthday! 

As with all their arguments regarding their daughter, it had ended with her teary eyed escape from their chambers. But never had she expected that she would run into the ruler of the planet she was visiting, and never would she have anticipated his shamefully perfect attentions to her, as she suddenly realized, were so desperately desired by her deprived body. 

Suddenly recalling the reason for her being stark naked in a stranger's shower, Bulma opted not to prolong her presence any more than necessary. Running her fingers down her waist, she quickly pulled off her baggy shirt, followed by the boxers she had borrowed from Radditz, and then the most transparent proof of her guilt, her saturated panties. 'Damn it,' she cursed before throwing the object into a nearby garbage depository. She could not return wearing the offending garment. 

Turning the water on, she stepped into one of five communal stalls, thankful that no one was around to witness her disgrace in the middle of the night. Under the cold liquid, she smiled as the icy water quickly cooled her heated flesh. Closing her eyes, she tried to block out images of the dark man who had dared to lay his soft, tender, warm hands upon her; his hot lips ravaging hers with such accurate movements, as if he was more familiar with her body than she. Releasing an uncontrolled moan, she dipped her head back and to the side slightly as her mind, without her permission, wandered. 

He was suddenly behind her, his naked body flush against hers, his lips running down her water dripping neck. Slowly licking each bead, he moved expertly up and down her skin with his tongue, while his hands…oh his hands moved just as mercilessly, circling her breasts, kneading each one, preparing them for the inevitable descent of his greedy lips. And once they did, yes, the sensations only intensified as she leaned further back, denying him not an inch of her body, begging him to take it all. 

And he did.

His hands lowered down her muscular abdomen, over her sensitive bellybutton, circling her firm pelvis, and then finally resting _there_. It was not long before he pushed one, then two, then three fingers where she had yet to allow any man since her reawakening. Radditz had thought her naïve to a man's touch, but he was so terribly wrong. A woman's body, no matter what has happened to her mind, could never forget the sensual touch of a lover; the need to be fulfilled, to join in the dance older than time. Though her mind may have forgotten, her body was more alert than ever. 

Thrusting her breasts further into the air, Bulma took several deep breaths, anticipating that blissful release he was skillfully bringing her to. And then it came… The room seemed to disappear; there was only the sound of her lover's name echoing breathlessly throughout the small room as she collapsed into those powerful arms that had brought her such bliss. 

It was several moments before Bulma regained her senses and picked herself up off the floor, realizing that there had been no gentle arms to ease her descent from paradise. Shaking off her self-loathing, she washed her fingers, and then quickly completed her shower, not allowing herself to envision a torrid affair that would only end in disgrace and violence. 

'What the hell came over me?' she asked herself as she turned off the water, and grabbed a nearby towel. After briskly drying herself off, she stepped back into her cloths, and returned the room to the tidy manner it was in before her arrival. Hoping she could slip back into her room with the least suspicion from Radditz as possible, Bulma departed to her chambers, oblivious to the pair of dark eyes that had watched her every movement from her arrival, to her self-gratification. 

Once Bulma had disappeared from sight, Vegeta glided over to the shower stall that had just recently been vacated. Turning the cold water back on, he swiftly removed his garments. After the erotic show the exotic look-alike of his mate had put on for his voyeuristic eyes, he too was in need for release. The only difference was that while she had called for him in the throes of passion, he would not be returning the favor. Though it was Atae's body that had aroused him, there was only one name he would cry for at the pinnacle of ecstasy.

_Bulma!_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note: Mmm… All Bulma/Vegeta, just the way I like it! So what happens tomorrow when the pair awakens to deal with the tumultuous encounter they shared? New chapter in a few…


	5. Search for the Truth

Surviving Together: Retribution   

Chapter 5 – Search for the Truth

"Are you sure you are ok, Dad?" Trunks inquired worriedly after landing a few too many punches on his clearly distracted parent. Under any other circumstances, he was certain to have missed more than made.  

"I'm fine," Vegeta assured falsely as he attempted to reorient himself once more for a better showing against his son in their sparring match. It was no easy task forgetting what had happened last night. That single kiss had been replayed in his mind hundreds of times ever since. And he was certain she was feeling the same. 

He had shamefully hidden in the shadows of the washroom, eyeing her every movement with a hunger that was far more devastating than it should have been. But how could he turn away from the woman who mirrored his greatest loss? Every inch of her body, as he had found out last night, exemplified that of his dead mate. Every sensual movement, every moan of gratification, every sway of her body was parallel to that of Bulma, _his_ mate. How could two people be so much alike?

The familiarities had been too much for the former Saiya-jin prince, and for the first time in almost a year he had caved to sensations of lust. Dreaming of his mate as though she were still alive, joining with him in the everyday passion of two lovers. But the crashing reality was that she was not there, and she never would be again. But, Atae… She was there. 

Radditz was a non-factor. The weakling had been a fool to bring such a prize to him without considering the likeliness of her being drawn to a better man. If he lost her, that would be solely his fault. Lost her… Is that what he really wanted to do? Take this woman, this replica of his mate, for his own? Would that heal the pain of his loss of Bulma?

No… That was obvious, but as Garock had suggested the other day, would it be so wrong to seek companionship again? To find someone who could be a mother figure to his offspring… Bra… The little girl popped into his mind suddenly. Could he steal a daughter from her father? He could if the father was Radditz! Vegeta had no doubt the man only kept the child to humor his mate. It was the only reason that made any sense. The brute certainly was not interested in parenting, which was obvious by his lackadaisical attitude both towards the infant yesterday and Trunks as well.  

Trunks, would he accept the woman? That seemed obvious by the child's adamant insistence that Atae was in fact his mother. That misconception would have to be cleared up first, but what then? Could he merge the two families into some sort of successful clan? Mother, father, son and daughter? The thought seemed preposterous. He was barely an adequate father of one, how would he handle two?

'But I would not have to do it alone.' The realization dawned on him with blatant clarity. Atae would be aiding in the endeavor. She would be sharing his responsibilities; she would become his new mate. New mate? Could he really replace Bulma? Or is the more pressing question, would it be fair of him to take a mate who he could never give all of himself to? He could never love this woman, no matter how much she emulated his lost mate, as much as he had Bulma. It simply was impossible. There were parts of him that were forever sealed, lost along with his mate, but…

But, he could care for her. Lavish her with everything her heart could desire. He could make her happy, he was certain of it. But would that be enough for her? Could she settle? Of course she could! She was doing that now with Radditz. He would be doing her a favor by taking her away from the buffoon. The rationalization came so easily to him. Yes, perhaps he could not love her, but surely she did not love Radditz, or lust after him as a mate should. If she had, her body would not have responded to him so powerfully, her lips would not have cried out for him in the throes of passion, he would not have felt the chill run down her spine as he whispered into her ear. 

Yes, it was clear she wanted him. But could he persuade her to willingly come to him? A smirk unconsciously lifted upon his lips. There was no doubt he could easily win her over if her susceptibility to his charms last night was any measure. But was he ready to make such a bold move? His body seemed more than ready, but had his heart healed enough to welcome another woman into his arms, into his bed? And gods, what if he grew attached to her, and she too was taken from him as Bulma had been. How would he ever survive losing two mates?

The frightening possibility had numbed Vegeta's body to the core, forcing him to reconsider his musings. But Trunks was not about to give him much of a chance as he rammed his fist into his father's face, "Oh, shit… Dad, I'm sorry!" Trunks rushed over to the fallen man who was ever so ungracefully laying flat on his back. "I wouldn't have put so much force into the punch, if I knew you weren't going to block it!" 

Vegeta groaned as he allowed the younger man to help him sit up. Shaking his dizziness off, he turned to scowl at his son. "I think that is enough for today."

"I'd say so," Trunks nodded with some relief as he plopped back across from his father. Stretching his arms out behind him for support, he casually observed, "You didn't get much sleep last night, did you?" After receiving a slight nod of affirmation, Trunks continued understandingly, "Me neither. I couldn't stop thinking about Mom." His mood suddenly sobered. "I have missed her so much." He opted not to add, 'which makes having her back so exciting.' He understood his father was still in denial about Atae really being his mother. It was ok, Trunks assured himself. He was not certain how, but he would find the proof to dissuade the lie. He knew his mother, and even as impossible as it seemed to fathom, he knew the woman he met last night was her. He just had to find a way to prove it.

"Me too," Vegeta added, if the boy was being honest, he might as well be as also. "Do you think…" he whispered after several moments of pause, the subject brought forth a question within him that he was not certain was appropriate to breach with his son. 

"Do I think what?" Trunks egged the man on, if his thoughts were leaning towards Atae, he wanted to weigh in his opinions. 

"Garock suggested I seek out a relationship. Find a companion, a female parental figure for you. He thinks it would be healthy." He took the coward's way out and blamed the suggestion upon his advisor. So any and all offense the boy took could be easily deflected away from himself. Fortunately, no shifting of blame was needed as the boy saw right through his superficial question to the heart of his curiosity. 

"You are attracted to Atae, and you want my permission to pursue her," Trunks stated bluntly. He smiled as he saw his father's eyes widen. "Don't act all surprised, I saw how you were looking at her at dinner. And the way you were holding her daughter, all father like. And after meeting the jerk she is with," the boy growled at the memory of being thrown across the room, "I say go for it."

Shaking his head as if he had just been hit again, Vegeta raised a brow. "It would not bother you, at all?" Then it suddenly dawned on him, "because you still believe she is your mother through, what, perhaps reincarnation?" Vegeta taunted, he had hoped the boy had the delusion out of his mind. 

"Why can't you even consider the possibility, Dad!?" Trunks bellowed; it was insane his father was being this obstinate. "She looks like her, she talks like her, she smells like her, she acts like her, the only difference is—"

"The only difference is she _isn't_ her!" Vegeta cut in, his back stiff as a board. It seemed he needed to take a different approach to dissuade the boy. "Think for a moment, Trunks. If that was truly your mother, why the hell would she not recognize us? Why would she call herself 'Atae?' Claim a completely separate life? Have a mate, and a daughter?! If you can logically explain all that to me, then I will consider the possibility."

Growling in frustration, Trunks crossed his arms in defeat as he mumbled, "I don't know." He sat sulking for several moments before adding, "But if there is some logical explanation out there, I fully intend to find it!" The boy jumped to his feet and turned to exit the room. 

"Trunks, where are you going?" he called after the child, but received no answer as the half Saiya-jin disappeared from the room. 'Damn it!' the elder man cursed; he feared the crushing blow that would inevitably await his son once the truth finally stung him, the truth that his mother was dead, and the woman he so dearly hoped was truly she, is revealed to be nothing more than a beautiful carbon copy. 

Deciding to end his training for the afternoon, Vegeta headed for the washroom. Somewhat wary of the memories he would inevitably face from the night before. Concluding a quick shower would be wisest; Vegeta was in and out, dressed and heading for a late afternoon lunch. After his meal he would have to address what had transpired the night before. It was weighing too heavily on his mind to be ignored much longer. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I am not in the mood, Radditz." Bulma gently brushed her believed mate's hand away after he boldly placed his large palm atop one of her breasts in a playful manner. 

"You said that last night," the large man hissed as he crossed his arms to glare down at his mate. "Why the sudden cold shoulder? You are not still angry about the 'Bra' issue, are you? Because if it truly angers you that much, I will leave her to grow into an energyless creature like yourself. After all, I am more than enough man to protect both mate and daughter adequately. See, problem solved." He truly did not care how the child was reared; he had only made an angry point of it last night because he was so hot with rage after his pseudo-battle with Vegeta and Trunks. He should have controlled his temper better. He could have avoided all this. 

"All right then," Bulma passively agreed. She was still feeling too damn guilty over her mental affair the night before to muster her normally colorful argumentative disposition. It was hard enough to look her mate in the eye without spilling the shameful truth of her actions. "I never meant to snap the way I did yesterday, but I am a new mother, and dangerously protective of our daughter. Her Saiya-jin heritage sometimes scares me. I am sorry for being out of line." The feel of two large arms encircling her body followed her forced apology, as she was lifted to sit in her lover's lap. 

"Forgiven," Radditz whispered huskily as he moved a few strands of hair behind his mate's ears. Gently pulling her head down towards him, he placed a protracted kiss upon her luscious lips. Running his hands up her shoulders, he clasped the thin straps of her shirt, and slowly attempted to pull them down. He did not make it very far. 

"I should go retrieve Bra," Bulma tactfully pushed her mate's hands away as she rose from between his legs to straighten herself out. "Garock was kind enough to take her for walk around the common area, it would be wrong of me to infringe upon his time any longer."

"Atae," the darker, more dangerous tone of her Saiya-jin lover reverberated through the room as the man rose to his feet, towering over his false mate. "How much longer will you deny me?" The question had been boiling in his mind for weeks, he would have never dared voice it, but now, after he had finally secured some alone time with her, he had assumed she would be out of excuses to lay with him. Apparently he was mistaken. 

"Radditz, please," Bulma tried to divert the difficult question. "I need to get Bra."

"No!" the demand was followed by her arm being restrained, locking her in place as she was turned back around to face her companion. "Not until you answer my question, Atae."

She felt her breath catch. Could she tell him? Did she dare admit that she was not ready for such intimacy with him? That, even though he had been so kind to her, so compliant, so caring, so nurturing during her recovery, her pregnancy, and her struggle to deal with the loss of her memories, she still had not reignited the passion he insisted had blazed between them before her accident? Could she ever admit to him that though her feelings were warm and affectionate, they were nothing like the fiery eruptions of sensuality she experienced after a simple kiss from a stranger? How could she ever tell him she was more attracted to a man she had no familiarity with than her own mate?! "I am just not ready yet." Her eyes hit the floor, her voice not strong enough to say anymore, her heart too weak to stand the sight of his disappointment. 

Releasing her arm, Radditz crossed his own in a poor attempt to feign indifference. He was far from it. Spinning on his heel, he showed his back to Bulma, not daring to look at her as he asked. "Is there another you desire?" He had been worried seeing her true mate would rekindle a flame he had worked damn hard to snuff out, but it was a calculated risk. His vendetta was too important to be overwhelmed by possibility. 

"That could never be relevant, Radditz, I would never betray you. I am committed to us, to our family." She ignored the act of indiscretion last night; she would be dammed before allowing herself to selfishly indulge in the fantasy of a widower at the cost of her mate. Last night would _never_ happen again. "Please, just give me more time. I am sure that is all I need." She prayed it was. She owed him her undivided love and loyalty. 

Radditz felt a tight smile pull on his lips; such devotion was unfamiliar to the typically cruel man. A part of him hoped she meant every word she said. "You have all the time you need," he vowed while turning around to gently grasp her face. "Though I will not stop trying to influence your desires," he pulled her towards him in a passionate kiss. He would not force her, but he would not live the life of a parson either. "Don't keep me waiting too long," he breathed heavily as he pulled away from her, quickly explaining that he had some business to attend to, and would meet her and Bra for dinner in a few hours. 

After agreeing to the plan, Bulma watched her mate depart from there room with a heavy heart, guilt overriding her senses. Collapsing upon their bed, she closed her eyes, willing whatever deity would listen to enlighten her as to why she could not return the feelings of her mate. Why, with her amnesia, did her feelings simply evaporate?

"Perhaps they were never real to begin with." The suggestion sent Bulma flying to her feet as she rose to see Garock standing in the doorway of her room, holding her daughter. "I did not mean to intrude, but the door was ajar." He tentatively entered, and returned a very much pleased child to her mother's arms. 

Once the girl was situated, Bulma could not help blurting out, "What did you mean when you entered? About 'they' never being real?" It unnerved her to no end that this man had, at a rather impromptu time voiced a secret fear she had never wished to confront. 

"Oh," Garock cleared his throat, disgraced by his comment. "I should not have said that, it was just the first explanation that came to my mind after overhearing your dilemma." 

"O-Overhearing?" Bulma stuttered, "But I hadn't been speaking." 

"Not vocally, no." He cleared his throat again; the woman's intimidating scrutiny was eerily close to that of his leader's late love. "I am telepathic. I should have told you sooner but…" he paused in seeing the look of horror cross the female's delicate features. "Please do not be alarmed. I do not make a point of listening to people's thoughts; it is only that yours were so potent they could not be blocked from my mind. I apologize, I should not have said anything; I was so terribly out of line—"

"Did you mean it?" Bulma ignored the ending of his explanation; she was still much too lost in her own woes to worry about technicalities. "Do you think a person can truly lose all emotional attachments with amnesia? Or am I deluding myself?"

Taking a step back, the elder man shook his head in ignorance, "I can not answer that, my lady. I have no experience with circumstances of physically inflicted memory loss." The dejected nod of understanding was enough to make the man regret his abilities, but believing he could do little more damage, he quietly asked, "From your thoughts I gather you had an accident, would it be insensitive of me to ask what happened?" 

Shifting her daughter in her arms, Bulma returned to her seat on the bed, and while rocking the young girl slowly, she explained all the details of her life since she could remember, adding in the details Radditz had offered as well. "I can not complain," she concluded lightheartedly as she steadied her child once again. "Radditz has been so amazing to me, and our daughter, I just wish…"  
  


"Wish you felt for him what one mate should feel for another." A silent nod was enough for the advisor to sum up the rest of the details. It had been as he surmised from the brief interlude he had witnessed between the two at dinner the night prior. "How long has it been that you felt this way?" he asked gently, not wanting the woman to feel pressured by his inquiry. 

"About a year since the accident, since then," as she looked up, her answer seemed to have held some hidden meaning as her counterpart stiffened slightly. But as quickly as the reaction came, it disappeared as Garock began taking a few steps back, quietly offering his apologies for being so curious, and then briskly leaving without further word on the matter. 

Once he was gone, Bulma couldn't help but smile down at her daughter. "It seems I have a knack for scaring men away today. Too bad neither of those men are the one I need to keep the greatest distance from." Her thought was lost as her mind drifted back to Vegeta, and their interlude the night before. 'I have to stay away from him,' she vowed to herself before looking across the room to a clock and then back down at her daughter. "Well, look at the time, I bet that Saiya-jin stomach of yours is already eating itself!! How about some lunch?" the mother chuckled before pulling her shirt down and offering her nipple. 

After she finished feeding her daughter, she would have to locate Radditz and insist that they hasten their departure. She did not trust herself around the handsome monarch of the planet, and with his advisor now knowing her indifference to her mate, she was unsure if he was the kind of man who might take advantage of such information. 

Hoping against the worst-case scenario, Bulma tried to think more positively. Her feelings for her mate were irrelevant. He was bound to her; hell, she had the mark to prove it! She would be damned before allowing anything to interfere with their little clan, even if that meant denying herself a craving she had so dreamed of experiencing. 

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"Oh, Rock, I am so glad I found you!" Trunks stopped mid track as he ran into his elder friend. "I need your help, like back when I wanted to get Mom together with Dad, remember?"

Garock frowned at the memory, "but we had no success with _your_ plot. Why in the universe would you wish to recruit me once again?"

"Because we can't rely on Mom and Dad getting together on their own this time, _this_ time _we_ have to do the work!" Trunks smiled broadly, he was going to get his family back, he was certain of it. 

"Did you just say your 'Mom and Dad'? Trunks, you are not insinuating that—" Garock raised a brow; Vegeta had warned him of the boy's insisted belief that Atae and his mother were one and the same woman. Curious after the conversation he had had with the female moments ago, he dared to ask, "Have you any proof that this woman is your mother?"

"That's where you come in," Trunks snapped his fingers, then pointed at the taller man. "Look, I know Dad thinks I am nuts, but I am not. Mom is here, alive and in the flesh. No, I can't explain why she has a daughter. No, I don't know why she thinks her name is Atae. And no, I can't explain why she wouldn't remember me, but I have a suspicious hunch the jerk she came with has something to do with it. I don't like him. He keeps his ki so suppressed that Mom seems stronger than him, and he acts much too smug around Dad, like he has something up his sleeve."

"And you think it is your mother?" Garock filled in the gaps. The jovial nod he received in return proved there would be no diminishing the boy's enthusiasm short of proving or disproving beyond a reasonable doubt whom this woman really was. "All right, I'm in."

"Wow, really?!" Trunks tried to control his shock. He expected a similar reaction as from his father. He was pleasantly wrong. 

"On two conditions, of course," the pouting and sullenly crossed arms of the younger man upon hearing his words only served to bring a smile to Garock's face. "One, this search for the truth works both ways. If we find proof your mother is truly alive, I will personally escort you to your father to present the facts to him, BUT, if we find concrete evidence that this woman is who she says she is, you must swear to offer apologies to both your father and Atae. Agreed?" 

"Agreed," Trunks was quick in his consent. He knew his mother when he saw her; he would not have to offer any apologies at the end of their hunt. "And?"

"And… We keep this from your father." Garock felt guilty even suggesting the deceit, but he felt Vegeta's delicate mental state could suffer otherwise. 

"Definitely agree on that one too," Trunks was not as sympathetic in his reasoning, he knew his father would try to stop him from trying to prove his 'delusions.' He did not want to be halted from proving his mother was alive and back in his life. "Ok, so since we are all agreed, where do we start?"

Taking a deep breath, Garock instructed the younger man to follow him into his study. It was wisest that he start out by informing the boy of what he had learned today from the woman in question. Learning more of her circumstances would make verifying her story much easier. But such tasks had to be done discreetly, and standing shouting at one another in the middle of a public hall was not the way to go about it, especially not with Vegeta in the non-too far vicinity. 

Garock had sensed his heightened emotional state moments before directing Trunks in the opposite direction. Another clearly agitated being was with him, Radditz, and judging by the slowly increasing fury of the man, the location the two Saiya-jins were in was about to get very dangerous. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note: Hmm… So Trunks and Garock are cooking up a plan to prove who Atae really is. Will it work? And what about Vegeta and Radditz? I wonder what topic has them so on edge? Find out next time… 


	6. The Challenge

Surviving Together: Retribution   

Chapter 6 – The Challenge

"And just where are you heading?" Radditz demanded in a much too authoritative tone as he glared at his former prince. The pair had most unfortunately bumped into one another only minutes after the elder of the two departed from his mate. He did not like that his rival was heading in the direction of his chambers, towards Atae. 

Vegeta did not flinch as he offered an evasive answer, "This is my castle. I am free to go wherever I desire, and I sure as hell do not have to answer to you on the matter." He attempted to continue in the direction he was originally heading, but Radditz sidestepped him. 

"Not so fast." He held out his hand in a domineering manner, as if he had a right to interrogate his host. "I am no fool. I am perfectly aware that your mate was killed not long ago, and since mine bears a striking resemblance to her, you intend to pursue her. Well, let me warn you," he took a menacing step closer to the smaller man, "Atae is my _mate_. And the only way you will get to her is over my dead body."

A roar of laughter was released by the younger Saiya-jin as he could barely control his amusement. "That's it?" Vegeta snickered, pleased with the deepening shade of red his rival's face turned. "Oh, Radditz, you should feel aptly fortunate that I am not the type of man to _steal_ another's mate, because if I was," he countered with a protracted step forward of his own, "be certain that I would feel no remorse in ending your life." Memories of Radditz's dangerous interest in Bulma when she was still so young flashed across his mind. Yes, killing this brute would be of little consequence to his sense of morality. 

For several long minutes, Radditz stood staring at his rival with an impenetrable gaze. If Vegeta had not known any better, the bastard had something up his sleeve. He watched with great surprise, as the man parted his lips and almost sinisterly whispered, "Tatakaiwoidomu."

Vegeta's typically unshakeable demeanor broke as he heard the demand. 'He has to be kidding. Is this fool truly so enamored with Bulma's replica that he is willing to fight an unbeatable battle?' But he knew the man was not kidding, he had made the demand in their native tongue. It seemed Radditz truly had a death wish. "Think carefully before you make such a grave decision, my friend. On my Saiya-jin honor I would never refuse a challenge, so be sure you are fully prepared to handle the consequences of your actions." He gave the man an easy escape from his hot-tempered choice. He had hoped him intelligent enough to take advantage of Vegeta's gift of mercy. It would only be offered once, out of respect for his mate and cub, but not again. 

"Tatakaiwoidomu Kyousou Netoru!" The determination in the man's voice led Vegeta to the complacent realization that this man had every intention of fighting him over this woman. Perhaps the only honorable act the man had taken in all his life—incredibly stupid, but worth his respect nonetheless.

"Ousen," he nodded, following a Saiya-jin tradition he would have never anticipated having the need to implement. For some time after, the pair remained silent, each assessing the severity of what they both just agreed to. But once reality struck, Vegeta found himself the first to address the matter. "Since you prompted the challenge, it is in my discretion to select the time and place." He paused to see if the man would offer any objection, when he made none, Vegeta continued, "One week's time. When the half moon is high we will meet at the common training grounds on the eastside of my castle. There we will have our Kyousou Netoru. The victor will claim Atae and her child. Agreed?" He narrowed his eyes at the warrior, only a fool would have wagered his mate and cub against unbeatable odds. 

"Joukenwonomu," Radditz nodded his head sternly. He may not have anticipated his over zealousness in making the planned challenge, but it had felt too right at the time to deny himself his Saiya-jin right to protect what was his. "Isshuukan," he nodded to his rival in affirmation of the date. 

"Hai, isshuukan," Vegeta concurred in the final words that would be spoken on the matter. Without further interruption, Radditz stepped out of Vegeta's path and the two continued off in the same directions they had originally been heading, both believing when the day came for their battle they would each alone achieve victory, while neither realized the conflict that lay before them would be the most intense of their lives. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I am not sure this is a good idea," Garock whispered skeptically as he watched the demi-Saiya-jin attempt to break open another lock on Radditz's ship. Trunks thought rummaging through the man's vessel might better help them to discover the resurrected Saiya-jin's secrets, and hopefully, to find some clue that could answer all of their questions regarding Atae. But the elder, more rational of the duo was not quite as optimistic about the forced entry. "Besides the fact that this is an invasion of privacy, one of your father's crews already searched the ship from top to bottom and found nothing incriminating. I have little faith we will do much better."

"Well, then it is lucky I have faith enough for the both of us," Trunks smiled gleefully as he finally managed to bypass the digital lock pad on Radditz's private chambers adjoining the main deck of the ship, "Got it!"

Raising a suspicious brow, Garock eyed the young man curiously as he slowly followed him inside the quarters. "Where did you learn how to do that?" Though Vegeta was an intelligent man, he certainly would have no knowledge on how to disengage such a complete security system. But then again, if Vegeta ever wanted to get into a restricted area, he would have used his fist to efficiently and promptly get the job done. 

"My Mom," the distant answer was moments later somberly followed by, "she created all of the security technology Merigh used. It would have been pretty hard for me to spend many afternoons helping her work and not pick up anything." A slow forming smile rose on the boy's face as he recollected some of his earlier years living alone with his mother. Though he could not say he preferred the days he lived in absence of his father, these more recent times, living without his mother, were the most dispiriting. He wanted only one life: him, his mother, and his father under one roof, as one family, without any outside forces trying to tear them apart. It was a fantasy of course, but one he would fight like hell to see come to fruition. 

Garock decided not to interrupt the boy's musing as he felt the warm emotions stirring inside the child. He could no sooner dash the boy's hope of reuniting his family than he could cut off his own arm. Right now he would have to try to help both Trunks and Vegeta learn the true nature of the woman invading their castle; even if it meant compromising his principles, as he was doing by breaking into another man's property. "Let's make this quick," the elder man warned as he cautiously joined in the search for clues. Not that he had a faintest idea what a 'clue' would look like, but he was more than willing to ask the fates to prick him with some sort of guidance when such an aid was found. 

"Hey, look at this," Trunks interrupted Garock's unsuccessful searching after what had felt like hours of rummaging passed. Walking over to a computer the young man had hacked into, Garock dropped the palm of one hand to rest on the desk as he leaned in to observe the contents on the screen. 

"They are charts," the telepath concluded after a few moments of observing the three dimensional diagrams on the screen, "to one planet, Namek. _Namek_… hmm… Why does that sound familiar to me?" Garock fought to recollect the familiarity of the name; he knew he had heard of it somewhere. 

"I've heard of it," Trunks took a deep breath before swiveling the chair he was in to face his accomplice. He was more than ready to enlighten the man about his discovery. "Back when I was in school on Merigh, I remember hearing a myth about the planet Namek. It was supposed to be the home of this mystical dragon that could grant any wish a man could fathom. I had not thought much of it at the time; I mean the planet Namek is not on any star charts in the galaxy archives, but… But it's here." Trunks turned back around to touch the screen where the planet was labeled. "Do you think this is how he did it? Do you think this Radditz guy found the planet Namek and used this dragon to wish Mom back to life?" 

The hope shining in the boy's eyes was almost enough to silence Garock's skepticism, but he could not allow the child to be too confident about a fairytale. "I do not know, Trunks. Mystical planets, magical dragons, it seems a little farfetched to me, and much too indefinite to present to Vegeta. I mean, for all we know, Radditz or Atae were logging fake quadrants in as a visual for Bra during a bedtime telling of this tale. I think we should keep looking."

"Right," Trunks agreed, though not before saving the contents to a hard copy for his personal data. Garock might have had his doubts, but it made perfect sense to the half Saiya-jin. This was definitely his mother. Radditz had used the dragon's power to wish her back, and then had something done to her memory, so she would forget about her real life. But she would not be oblivious much longer! Once all of the data was downloaded, Trunks shut down the computer, and returned Radditz's desk to its original condition. "Ok, let's get out of here."

With a sigh of relief, his counterpart nodded in agreement, "now that is the best recommendation I have heard from you all day." 

Not bothering to object, Trunks guided Garock off the ship as discretely as possible. He did not want to alert the cruiser's owner that he was on to his lies and manipulations. Now more than ever, Trunks was certain 'Atae' was his mother, and these charts he had uncovered were going to help him prove it. 

Heading straight for the science wing of the castle, he was going to have to enlist the help of some of his mother's older partners to prove his suspicions. And the second he had his proof, he would take it to his father who, he was certain, would make damn sure things were set right again. Unable to suppress a smile rising on his lips, Trunks picked up his pace.  Nothing was going to stop him from getting his family back together. Not even the shadowed figure who had been secretly stalking his every movement. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Back so soon?" Bulma swiveled to what she had expected would be the sight of her mate; instead, to her chagrin, she was met by her most unwanted host. "How dare you barge in here!" she hissed while closing more tightly her partially agape shirt. After their encounter the night before, she did not want to give him any more false impressions. 

"The door was open," Vegeta quietly justified as he walked closer to the mother and daughter pair. It was clear the elder of the two was more discomfited about their last encounter than he had imagined. Good. They had something in common. 

"That does not give you the right to come in," she snapped a little too icily as she repositioned her fidgeting daughter. She was extending her arms towards the stranger again. It made Bulma wonder what the young girl knew that she did not. 

"A thousand apologies for my forwardness," he stated nonchalantly as he strolled over to the pair, using the infant's blatant interest in him to ensure his continued presence. A dirty trick, but he had to speak with this woman who had aroused such unanticipated feelings within him. "You look tired, why don't you let me hold her?" He easily stole the girl from her mother; he was infinitely pleased that this half-breed was so unlike her father. 

Repressing the urge to mouth 'traitor' to her daughter, Bulma crossed her arms dejectedly across her chest as she sullenly asked, "What do you want?" It was childish, her attitude, but she had felt so vulnerable in front of this man, as if he knew all her darkest secrets and at any moment would reveal them for the entire world to scoff at. It made her need to protect herself, utterly basic in nature. 

"We have some things that need to be discussed," he offered neutrally, he did not wish to force the subject of their encounter last night, but it would have to be broached before his departure. No doubt she would have questions and concerns after he revealed what her mate had gotten himself into. "Perhaps you should sit down," he suggested while nodding to a settee in the corner of the room. For a moment he feared she would refuse his request, but after a reluctant hiss she gracefully took a seat across from him. 

"Look, Vegeta, if this is about last night—"

"It is," he whispered frankly before positioning his daughter to sit comfortably in his lap. He was thoroughly pleased that the child was so compliant. "But it is more than just last night. It is about what has happened since then." He felt hesitant to be the one to tell her, but he did not trust Radditz to inform her of the true circumstances surrounding the impending battle. And for some reason, he needed her to know the truth. "What do you know about a Kyousou Netoru?" He expected blank confusion, but instead, he received an exhausted sigh of disappointment. 

"Please tell me you are not trying to make a claim for Bra and I." Though some part of her body jolted with excitement over the possibility of becoming this man's mate, her devotion to her _true_ mate, the father of her child, greatly over shadowed the sensation. "I understand I look like your deceased love, but you can not think we will be able to replace your loss." 

"I did not make the challenge," Vegeta was quick to clarify. "Radditz thinks I have some hidden agenda that involves stealing you from him. His paranoia will very likely get him killed since this is a battle to the death." 

Bulma's eyebrows perked up as she assessed the man's assumptions. Did he truly think himself strong enough to beat her mate? He must not realize what he is up against. "With all due respect to your abilities, Vegeta, if there is anyone who should be concerned about meeting an untimely demise, it is you. Radditz is an incredibly powerful being, and I would hate to watch him use that power on you… Your son has already lost a mother; it is senseless for him to now lose his father as well." She threw the justification in at the end, discomforted by the realization that this man's death invoked unsavory feelings of distress within her. He was nothing more than a stranger to her, why does she feel such an emotional attachment? 

"The challenge has been made and accepted, we would both suffer disgrace should either of us back out now." Vegeta opted not to voice his amusement at the thought of Radditz proving any real threat. Insulting her mate would be counter to his purpose. What was his purpose again? He found himself at a loss for anything to say. He doubted he could ever get over looking into those deep pools of azure eyes that reflected his mate so perfectly. Lord, how he wanted to reach out and clasp that delicate face, the face of his mate, and pull her against his needy lips. How he hungered for that sense of unity he has for so long been without. 

"Suffer disgrace from whom?" Bulma argued wisely, seemingly oblivious to the man's digression. There was nothing more disillusioning than two grown men acting like chibis. "You two are the only Saiya-jins left, there is no one here to care what challenges you do and do not accept!"

"We care," Vegeta snapped defensively. True, all of his people were long gone, but that made no difference when considering custom. He and Radditz were both raised under the practices of Saiya-jin culture. Whether that culture still exists today is irrelevant. A Saiya-jin, no matter how alone in the universe, will always be a Saiya-jin. "Look, I am not here to try to be talked out of this, I will not back down and neither will Radditz. I am merely here as a courtesy to inform you that when I defeat your mate, I will honor my obligation to support both you and her," he nodded down to the girl in his lap, who seemed anything but interested in the serious conversation her parents were having. "Anything beyond that, well, we will have to wait and see." He did not want to make any promises of mateship or even coupling, he simply did not know if he could ever offer this woman anything more than a possible friendship. He did not know if enough of him would ever be able to make peace with Bulma's death to even begin considering 'moving on.' 

"With all due respect to your _generosity_," she bit her lips to contain her anger; she was not doing very well. "The only promise I want to hear from you is that should by some chance of luck you beat my mate, you swear to me that you will let him live. Other than that, there is nothing more in this universe I want from you." It was a lie. She knew it, and had her suspicions that he did as well, but her mate came first. She would not allow her mild attraction to wean her away from rational thought. 

"I see," Vegeta answered somberly. She was devoted, he understood that, but his pride was too much of a force to be reckoned with when it came to battle. "Then you have my apologies in advance, because I can offer you no such guarantee." He lifted Bra from his arms and handed her back to her mother. Rising from his seat he turned and headed for the door. There was nothing more to be said on the matter, their points of view would never parallel one another on Saiya-jin ethics. 

"Wait!" Bulma stopped him just as he reached for the door. Following after him until she was only a few small steps away, she quietly asked, "is there nothing I can do to persuade you to back out of this ridiculous battle? I understand Radditz is paranoid, and perhaps I have not done much to ease him away from such feelings but," she paused to take a self-deprecating breath. She could not help feeling this was all her fault. "But you have no stake in this worth fighting for. You do not want the added baggage of taking in a woman and her newborn child." 

Silence followed. She was right; he had no need to double the size of his family, especially when the inevitable sense of distain would cloud their emotions towards him for taking their lover and father away. He was deluded to imagine any harmony would survive in a household forged on blood.  But how could he withdraw from a challenge? It was simply un-Saiya-jin to do so! He had to make her understand this was not his fault. Radditz made the challenge! The error was on his side. "Atae," he breathed her name heavily as he looked down to lock eyes with her. He did not think he would ever become accustomed to seeing those beautiful blue orbs shining back at him with an intensity only his mate could muster. But damn it, this was not _his_ mate! If only he could find some way to prove to his body that this woman was a fake, not the real creature it desired so passionately. "Spend the night with me." 

A demand? A request? A suggestion? Bulma could not decipher if he had actually just said what she had thought he did. He seemed just as shocked as her to have heard the comment released, yet he was not making any immediate attempts to retract it. "What?" A simple question, but she hoped it was enough to insist for a much grander explanation. 

"I will withdraw from the Kyousou Netoru if you give me one night with you." Though his mind had been screaming at him to remain silent, to at most offer an apology for his outlandish request, but instead his lips kept on moving, asking for something he had no right to take.

"You want me to offer you sex in exchange for forfeiting the match." As indignant as she was in hearing his demand, she could not ignore the heat that welled inside her at the possibility mating with this man she barely knew. By the gods what was wrong with her?

"Not sex, I would never demand an unwilling partner to share my bed," he corrected her misconceptions quickly. Though he had a nagging suspicion he could have her willingly, he would never insist upon her compliance. It was counter to every moral he possessed. "I only want your time, dinner and discussion, no more. My only stipulation is that we have complete privacy. Give me that, and I will damn my honor to pull out of the match." 

Readjusting her daughter to hold more securely, Bulma swiveled away from the man as she contemplated his offer. He asked for so little from her, but could she trust his intentions to be pure? Could she trust him to be alone with her and not make any advances as he had done last night? Could she trust herself to stop him if he did? 'Damn you, Radditz and your pride,' she cursed under her breath. If he had just trusted in her loyalty she would not have to face this predicament. Of course, that was irrelevant now. All that mattered now was keeping her family together. And if that meant spending one evening with this dangerously attractive man, then she would simply have to pour on the self-restraint. "Very well," she turned back around to deliver her answer. "When do you want me?"

'Right now,' popped into the emperor's head, but he dared not voice it. He would not lose his head over this woman as he had the night before. He was certain spending some alone time with her would satisfy his dark curiosity about this female, "Two nights from today. That should give you more than enough time to come up with a plausible excuse for your absence to tell Radditz." He was no fool. The brute would be suspicious of any time the woman was severed from his side; he hoped she could come up with a fool proof lie. 

"Fine," she agreed swiftly. The less she thought about this, perhaps the better it would filter through her conscience. "Now if that is all, Bra needs her bath." It was the first excuse that popped into her head. It seemed to do the trick. 

"I will have Garock send word to you the morning prior with more detailed instructions. Should any problems arise, contact him; it is probably best we keep our distance from one another until then." He felt so uncomfortable making such plans, as if the act was so inappropriate, perhaps it was. They were both mated beings, regardless of the fact that his was dead and hers was a bumbling idiot. Though rational thought begged him to reconsider this very possible disaster, he exited from the room without a word of regret. 

He had to set his mind and body at ease once and for all about this woman. He was sure spending time alone with her would help bring to light all of the little quirks that made her unique from his mate, everything that made her who she was, a completely separate being from that of his dead love; a replica, a carbon copy, a fake. As much as Vegeta so desperately wished this woman could be the real thing, his will to hope was not strong enough to be tempted by the delusion. Atae was her own person. And after their dinner together, he would eliminate any lingering doubt. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Translations: Tatakaiwoidomu – To Challenge a Person to Fight

             Kyousou Netoru - Contest to Steal Another's Mate                

    Ousen – To Accept the Challenge

    Joukenwonomu - To Accept the Conditions

    Isshuukan – One Week

    Hai – Yes

Author's Note: Awe, so it looks like Vegeta and Bulma are about to do something they never have before, go on a date!! How will it turn out? And what about Trunks and Garock? They seem to be forging ahead in their pursuit of the truth. Will they find out who 'Atae' really is or will Radditz stop their investigation dead in its tracks? Next chapter in a few… 


	7. Keila’s Diversion

Surviving Together: Retribution   

Chapter 7 – Keila's Diversion

"So what have you learned?" Trunks asked Euran impatiently. He did not care that the man had asked for three days to complete the task, he wanted his answers now. He needed to know the truth. 

"Well," Euran responded slowly with a long sigh. He had been stunned to learn from the son of his long time friend and colleague that his mother may, by some miracle, be alive. The scientist in him had been thoroughly skeptical when the young man had come to him yesterday, demanding he confirm the coordinates of an uncharted planet. A planet Trunks believed was home of the mystical dragon; the tool used to bring his mother back to life. It all seemed highly outlandish to him, but after being taken to the dining hall that same evening to see the woman the boy claimed as his mother, Euran was willing to consider the possibility. Two, non-related people, could not possibly look, talk and act that much alike. It was a scientific impossibility in his opinion, so he had been thereafter willing to spend the next three days working to confirm or rebut the data Trunks had brought him. Unfortunately, the boy seemed to want his results a day early. "I can not yet confirm anything until I receive a transmission from the ship your father has posted in that nearby sector, but…"  

"But?" Garock chimed in; he sensed the man had had some success elsewhere. 

"But, I have been going through some old captains' logs from those who served in that quadrant over the last few years. On more than one I found an entry where the captain noted a small planet they had passed, but was not on their charts. The approximate coordinates were all within five thousand kilometers of the ones you gave to me. "

"There, I knew it!" Trunks cheered, as if it were all the proof necessary to prove his theory. 

"Not so fast," Garock objected, not needing to read the boy's mind to guess his assumption. "Why was this planet never investigated?"

Euran shrugged simply. "There was never any reason. No notable ki signatures were detected, and the planet's natural resources were minimal. The globe is apparently mostly barren, judging from what I have read. The total population was estimated to be no more than a few hundred, tops." 

"I see," Garock nodded in understanding. Most warship captains held no interest in the benefits of their discoveries to science. It made sense their discoveries would take no more precedence to them than a short blurb in their log about the meals served to the crew. How grand a mistake that would prove should it be learned that this barely noteworthy planet was in fact Namek.  

"I see too," Trunks chimed in with a wide grin. "I was right. Namek is real, which means the dragon is real, which means its ability to bring the dead back to life is real, which means Mom is really alive!" The boy needed no more proof; he was ready to tell his father at once. 

"Aren't you getting ahead of yourself?" Garock placed a forceful hand on the boy's shoulder to stop him from running off with only partial information. "Even if Namek is real, we do not know this dragon is, let alone what its abilities are. We must wait until a crew sets foot on the planet and investigates."

Pouting his lips in disappointment, Trunks reluctantly agreed, "They had better be quick about it." He grumbled, Garock was right, if he went to his father now, the pessimist would surely disregard his discoveries. No, Trunks had to wait until he had proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Only then could he ensure his father's cooperation in reclaiming his mother. "How long before they get there, Euran?"

"Tomorrow most likely; I shall send word as soon as they land."

"Do that," Garock insisted before offering a few quick thanks and then swiftly guiding Trunks out of the man's office. There was another matter the pair needed to deal with this afternoon, one much more pressing. 

"Hey, what's the rush?" Trunks demanded as he brushed off his coconspirator's hand from his shoulder. 

"We have an interview to get to," he explained briefly as he guided the boy towards one of the communal training facilities. After receiving further badgering for a more specific explanation, Garock waited until the pair were alone in the hall before elucidating, "I took the liberty of discreetly scanning the minds of a few prominent members of Radditz's staff to see if any of them were aware of this possible ruse."

"Wow, really?!" Trunks interrupted excitedly, "nice thinking. But you were careful not to alert them to our intentions, right? I do not want this Radditz guy getting wind of our plans." 

"Of course I exercised great prudence!" The man was appalled by an accusation otherwise. "Not that I feel terribly proud of reading the thoughts of those who are unaware of my doing so," he added for peace of mind, "but I did encounter an interesting member of his staff that may be of some help to us." Not bothering to wait for Trunk's inevitable demand for a name, the telepath continued, "Her name is Keila. She is an intelligence officer, and apparently personally acquainted with Radditz. Very personally actually, they were once… er…" he felt awkward talking about intimate matters with the younger man. Fortunately however, Trunks made things easy for him. 

"You mean they used to screw each other?" 

The reverberation caused Garock's jaw to drop. "Where did you learn such a term?" he demanded in outrage.

Shrugging indifferently, Trunks casually answered, "It's not like we live in a monastery around here, there are only two things the men on this planet talk about, and since I am already well trained in martial arts, I take a greater interest in their other choice topic. Which I may add, is pretty damn interesting. I once heard this one guy talking about how when he had this chick in his single manned space pod—" 

"No, please, that's more than enough." Garock raised his hand to halt any further admission from the boy. "I am fully aware of the general variety of exploits the men on this planet partake in." Not that a boy of eleven should have gained such a vast knowledge over the past year. "I shall have to mention this to your father." 

Wincing slightly at the thought of having to sit through another one of his father's lectures on propriety, Trunks decided it was best to switch subjects and hope the matter would soon be forgotten. "So we were talking about some woman who used to sleep with Radditz. She works on his ship, so what does that have to do with Mom?"

Shaking his head to reorient himself to the original direction of their conversation, Garock began to explain. "Ah, yes, well, I sensed a deep resentment in this woman towards Atae last evening when I joined Radditz and his crew for dinner. I believe she may be disgruntled by Radditz's relationship with his mate and daughter, which would make her apt to telling us anything she knows about the woman if it could possibly mean getting Atae out of Radditz's life."

Nodding in agreement, Trunks was pleased to hear the possibility of an eyewitness. The more evidence the better. "So where can we find her?"

"Right here," Garock answered immediately as the pair arrived at the training facility Radditz's crew had been assigned to. Sensing the woman's presence inside, Garock ordered Trunks to wait around the corner as he went inside the facility to extract the woman from her comrades without causing much notice. After a simple lie about her needed presence by her commanding officer, the woman thoughtlessly departed without suspicion; at least until Trunks appeared before her to suddenly help shuffle her into a side room. 

"What the hell is going on?" Keila demanded as she watched Garock lock the doors of the massive empty room she had been guided into. 

"I am sorry to have to accost you, miss, but I am afraid Trunks and I have a few questions we need you to answer." He tried a diplomatic approach; he prayed this woman could be reasoned with. 

"Questions about what?" was the first thing the crimson haired female demanded. She was tall, with a thin but muscular build. Her skin was a dark tan and her eyes a pale pink. She was an exotic creature indeed, not a surprise Radditz had been attracted to her. "I have broken no laws since my arrival here; you have no right to interrogate me."

"This is not an interrogation; we simply have a few questions about your captain and his mate that we would greatly appreciate you answering. No one is in trouble here; we merely wish to learn the truth, a truth that perhaps could benefit you." Garock offered the incentive slyly. He hoped the woman would take the bait. She did. 

"I'm listening."

"What do you know about Mo—Atae?" Trunks opted to use her false name for understanding's sake. He did not want to lay his cards on the table too soon. 

"Frankly," The woman's eyes immediately narrowed as the female was mentioned, "The woman is the bane of my existence. Radditz used to visit my bed every night before he found _her_. Now _she_ gets to fuck him every night, have his child, and be lavished with his attentions and gifts. It should be me, I tell you! I'm both younger and better looking. Not to mention we suited each other better. Bluey could not possibly satisfy him like I did."

"And this all changed for you a year ago?" Garock found the woman's hostility refreshing. It seemed this woman would be very helpful. Her embittered attitude should be easily manipulated to make her slip up. 

"A year?" Keila raised a confused brow. "No, I am talking about the last _three_ years. That was when he found her on some weakling planet. We only stopped to refuel when Radditz observed her being abused by a member of the monarchy on the pathetic planet. For some reason he was taken with the little whore and offered to purchase her on the spot. When the prince who owned her refused, Radditz used his brute strength to kill the bastard and take his bed slave. I assumed after a few weeks Radditz would tire of and then kill her, never did I imagine he would mate and impregnate her. Feh… If their lives weren't intertwined, I'd kill the little witch." 

When the angered woman finished, an eerie silence engulfed the room before Trunks burst out, "You are full of shit! All of that is a crock of bull!" 

"Trunks!" Garock swiftly stopped the boy from a longer tirade. His outbursts would not help. "Are you certain it was three years ago?" The female's indignant look seemed to be all the answer the elder warrior needed. "I see. Thank you for your time. That will be all."

"What?!" Trunks wanted to object, but Garock clamped his hand over the child's mouth before a word could be uttered. 

"That's it?" Raising a brow in response to the young man's odd behavior, Keila decided to depart from the situation. She clearly had not given the men the answers they had anticipated. "Don't bother me again unless you really have something worth my time," she spat icily before storming out of the room. Once she was gone, Trunks broke from Garock to hiss angrily at the elder being. 

"She was lying! Why did you let her leave!?"  
  


Frowning, Garock shook his head in disappointment. "I was assessing her emotions while listening to her speak; her words were true. It seems Atae cannot be your mother. She was with Radditz for the last three yea—"

"No!" Trunks disagreed adamantly. "Atae is my Mom. I am one hundred percent certain of it! Just wait until we get the facts back from the Namek expedition. I know it will prove I am right. That woman has to be lying! I know you are wrong, Garock. My Mom is still alive!"

Silence descended upon the room once more as a shocking thought crossed Garock's mind. What if they were wrong? What if this woman really was simply a mirror image of Bulma? How would Trunks ever deal with the blow of psychologically losing his mother twice? "Trunks," he began lightly as he knelt down to fall just below the child's eyelevel. Resting a hand on each shoulder, he softly suggested, "Perhaps you should consider, just the _possibility_, that Atae is who she says she is."   
  
"No!" The answer was quick and concise as Trunks shook the man's hands away. "I know my mother. She is alive and if no one wants to believe me that's fine, but I am not giving up until I can prove it!" The exclamation was followed by the half Saiya-jin's running departure from the room. He was determined to show all the faithless just how wrong they were. Atae and his mother were one and the same person. He just had to find a way to prove it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What did you tell them?" Keila found herself for a second time being dragged into another secluded room not five minutes after departing from Trunks and Garock's company. However, her new manhandler was much more appealing than the last. 

"Do not worry that handsome head of yours off, Radditz. I held up my end of the bargain. I told those two fools everything you wanted me to." His strong hands pinning her arms against the door made her body heat up with an intensity only her Saiya-jin lover could ignite. Purring seductively, she alluringly ran her tongue over her lips as she reminded, "So my handsome beast, I think it's time for your end of the bargain to be _fulfilled_." She emphasized the last word with vigor before leaning forward to capture his lips with hers. To her chagrin, she only touched air as her arms were released and the burly man took several steps away from her.  

"No, Keila. I am a mated man. I don't bed any other woman than Atae. You know that." He emphasized his words with a dangerous glare. He would not allow her to seduce his sex-starved body. He had made a vow to himself to become a one-woman man and he had so far adhered to that vow. He was not yet about to forsake it. 

"A mated man?" the three words rolled off her tongue in pure amusement. "_Vegeta_ is a mated man, Radditz. You are merely the thief who took advantage of his property's death." In less than the blink of an eye the jealous female was thrust back up against the wall behind her. The look of rage in her attacker's eyes was deadly. 

"Atae is _my_ mate. Vegeta's _is_ dead. _Never_ forget that." Wrath seemed a weak word to express the emotions welling inside him. How dare this female disregard his claim on his mate. Atae was his, _not_ Vegeta's!

"All right," she decided a more passive approach was needed. The man was too deeply entranced under the witch's spell. "Atae is your mate, I get that. I would never try to interfere, but you did promise to give me the pleasure of mating with you if I did this little favor for you. So come on," she ran her heated fingers up his hardened chest, "Let me give you what she can't." Her lips were flush against his before he had a chance to object. Wrapping her arms around his massive torso she pulled her body roughly against his. She knew how he liked it, fast and hard. Her body was more than capable to accommodate his desires, unlike the pathetic creature he was with. 

Radditz's first instinct had been to throw the woman away. She had done what he needed, spread lies about Atae to throw the two little investigators off track. Blackmail was not an option for her, he could simply kill her. So why did he wedge her against the wall as he ripped her shirt open? Why did he allow her rough lips to alternate between licking and kissing across his face and chest? Why did he pull down their combat suits and thrust his hardened shaft into her slick warmth? 

"Yes, Radditz!" the sound of her desperate pants filled his ears. Closing his eyes, Radditz tried to envision the body he was thrusting into as being his mate'. He tried to imagine her lips panting with need as he rocked her essence with unadulterated bliss. And then when he finished, when he spilled his seed deep inside her, he imagined it taking root and forming a child of their own; _his_ heir, _his_ eternal connection to her. 

Sliding to the ground, still inside the woman beneath him, he took several breaths in a poor attempt to calm himself. Once reality struck him, he slammed his hand through the wall behind them. "Damn you!" he hissed as he violently removed himself from inside her and rose to his feet to straighten himself out. Once he was finished, he grabbed the woman he had just been so intimate with by the throat and hoisted her into the air. "No one hears of this, do you understand!?" he threw her back to the ground in an untidy heap after she coughed up an affirmation. "And do not even think of alerting Garock or Vegeta or his brat about Atae's true identity, because if you do I will devote every last second of my life to seeing you in agony."

Turning on his heel, Radditz disappeared from the room. Unconcerned that he had left behind a broken woman, all he cared about at that moment was returning to his chambers and erasing any proof of his indiscretion before Bulma found him. He could not afford to have her feel any more hesitation to joining with him than she already had. He needed her more than anything, which was exactly what he was willing to do to get her to be his, mind, body and soul.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Lord, I hope I am doing the right thing," Bulma entreated any god who would listen to her as she laid her daughter in her bassinet. After two long days of deep contemplation, she realized the best way to escape her mate this evening was by picking a fight with him that would inevitably lead to her storming off into the calm of the night. A typical occurrence between the two as it had happened just three days prior. The guilt she felt in feigning anger towards him was only softened by the incentive that this would stop a deadly battle. One night of 'dinner' and 'discussion' as her host had called it. She only prayed that is all it would be. 

For the past two days all she had thought about was the handsome stranger who had so unwelcomingly become the focus of her lust. Though she had strategically avoided him for the last forty-eight hours, the time was now fast coming for her to have to join him in his _private _chambers. When Garock had found her earlier this morning and told her the location, she had almost passed out. The last thing she wanted was to spend time alone with the man where a bed was present. She did not know if she could trust him; or, more frighteningly, herself for that matter. 

Her sleep had been restless, her body sore with desire. It had been horribly depressing to wake from a dream about a man she barely knew to stare into the eyes of her mate and have to lie to him, telling him that he was the focus of her fantasies when in truth he was far from her mind at night. She had even tried becoming intimate with Radditz to wash away the forbidden pleasures her soul sought. But her betraying body would not be fooled. It knew what it wanted, and it was not Radditz. 

Both nights she had stopped her mate before allowing him full liberties with her, his caresses merely serving to extinguish her flame. It seemed unfair that she could not give him what he wanted, but she had no choice. Her body wanted another, a man she could not, would not, allow herself to indulge in. She owed Radditz her loyalty if nothing else. She would have this stupid dinner, ignore her wants, and then return to him, and by the gods she would finally give herself to him. She had already waited too long, and after two nights of playing hot and cold with him, she knew another denial would be nothing short of cruel. 

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes to mentally prepare herself for what was ahead. Dressed in a pair of long black pants and a long-sleeved collared shirt, she mentally began to prepare herself for her evening with Vegeta. In and out, she promised herself. She had a mate and daughter to return to, she would not allow this man to lead her astray. 

The sound of the door opening alerted Bulma's attention as she swung around to greet her mate. She had expected him a bit sooner than now, but then again, punctuality was never his strength, "Nice of you to finally stroll in." She added a hint of bitterness to her voice; it would do well to propel them into their dispute. 

"I am sorry," he cleared his throat nervously as he walked right past her, towards the washroom. "Long day of training, I should really get cleaned up." He did not spare her another glance as he closed the door swiftly behind himself, an act that alarmed Bulma immediately. 

"Radditz?" she called after him softly. She was careful to keep her voice down while in the same room as her sleeping daughter. Without a moment spared for shyness, Bulma grasped the door handle and stepped inside the bathroom. Closing it behind her she allowed a normal tone to her voice. "What's with the cold shoulder?" 

Radditz's back stiffened; it seemed he should have locked the damn door. "Nothing," he could not turn around to talk to her. He had already disrobed; he could not chance her recognizing his misdeed. "I just wish to shower, so unless you want to join me, I would like my privacy." He laced his voice with a hint of seduction; he thought it would send her running in the opposite direction as all of his other attempts miserably did. 

"What's that scent?" she walked closer to him. Something was not right. Radditz had never been obsessed with cleanliness. "Vanilla," she said quietly as his eyes widened notably, "Keila practically bathes in the scent. You have it all over you, along with," she took another pained breath, "something much less pleasant." The realization hit her as a deeper whiff of the aroma surrounding him fully explained his need for a shower. "You slept with her." 

"Atae," he swiveled around to grab her arms before she could leave his side. "I can explain." He had to. The last thing he needed was an excuse for her to leave him. 

"You do not have to," her voice was calm and soft as a surprisingly large amount of water gathered in her eyes. He did not need to tell her what she already knew. "You wanted intimacy with a woman, and I have been refusing you, so you turned to another. I understand. She can give you what I can't." 

"What you _won't_," Radditz corrected more resentfully than he had intended. He had no right to be angry with her for his weakness, but something about how passively she took the news made him uneasy. Shouldn't she be angry? Yelling? Screaming at him? It was almost as if, as if she did not care. 

"You are right," she concurred with his last statement, as maliciously intended as it was. "I won't sleep with you because something is stopping me. I don't know what it is but I can't get close to you." She did not want to start confessing all her insecurities, but it seemed everything was coming to a head. He no longer wished to wait for her, and she no longer wanted to pretend time was all she needed. "I do not know why, but the accident changed me, I wish it didn't, but it did and now you are suffering because of my lack of enthusiasm and it is not fair. So if," she took a deep breath, wiping the few stray tears that had unconsciously fallen as she finished, "if you want to be with another woman, then I won't stand in your way. I just want you to be happy, Radditz, and for some reason, right now, I can not make you that." 

Her words had felt worse than the beating he had taken the night of his presumed death. "You are encouraging me to leave you for another?" the intensity of the declaration caused him to fall to his knees in bewilderment, his hands long ago dropped from her arms. "Gods, Atae, am I that repulsive to you?"

The question shook Bulma with a surprising sense of pity. Walking before her mate, she gently clasped his face in the palms of her hands as she shook her head, "No, Radditz, of course I do not find you repulsive! You are an incredibly attractive man, you have been nothing but perfect to me since the moment I awakened. You have to understand that whatever is stopping me has nothing to do with you, it's—" she stuttered for an explanation, she could not explain what was killing her attraction to this man. 

'It's Vegeta,' the sudden realization struck Radditz with smoldering disdain. Damn it, he should have known the moment he saw the bite mark on her neck that Vegeta's claim would still consume her regardless of whether or not she possessed a single memory of him. 'He must die.' The solution seemed certain to him. It was the only way to free her from his pull, the only way her heart could match what her head already knew. 'She wants only me.' "It's all right, is what it is," he removed her fingers from his face as he rose to his feet, towering over her a good several inches. "Nothing that has happened is your fault; I have no right to be angry with you. I am the one who has done wrong. I should have been helping you through this and instead I go and covet another woman.  Can you ever forgive me?" He needed to hear the words; he needed to know that once Vegeta was dead, he could still claim her heart. 

"Yes, I can forgive you." She responded instinctively. Aside from the fact that she owed him her life, they shared a daughter who needed both of her parents together; how could she not grant him this absolution when he was so willing to correct his wrong? The smile that lightened his face upon hearing those four beautiful words was immediately followed by his lips lowering to claim hers in a gesture of relief, but she did not grant him the luxury as she stepped away, reminded of her nearly forgotten engagement she was already running late for. 

"Radditz, I may have forgiven you, but do not be fooled into thinking I am going to simply forget what happened, especially when you are still drenched in the scent of another woman." Her harsh tone was more genuine than she had imagined. 

"Of course," he took a step back from her, feeling stupefied by his actions. "I will wash immediately and then take you out to dinner. We can talk more about, about anything you like." He would be as compliant as possible to brush over this mess. Forgiven and soon he would see that it was forgotten. 

"No," her rejection came to him as a shock. "Shower and spend the evening with Bra. You have scarcely spent any time with her since our arrival, she misses her father." Guilt in using her daughter as an excuse to keep him room bound immediately swelled inside her, but she had to remind herself that this was for a good cause, to prevent a dangerous battle from being fought. Why did that suddenly sound so hallow an excuse?  
  


"And where will you be?" He raised a brow in suspicion. He did not want her separated from him, and he certainly did not want to be tied to her brat all evening. 

"I do not know," the lie flowed from her lips more easily than it should have. "But I need some time alone to digest all that has happened, so I think I will dine alone, and then perhaps take a walk afterwards. I won't stay away too late. I just need some time." She hoped Vegeta would quickly tire of her and send her on her way before the moon was high. She was not certain, even after a transgression of this magnitude, how long Radditz would settle for her absence. 

"All right," he agreed after a long pause. He sensed an uneasiness about her plans, but he assumed it was merely aftershock from her learning of his indiscretion. "Do not be gone too long." 

With a nod Bulma turned and departed from the bathroom. Stopping only briefly to kiss her daughter goodbye, Bulma headed towards the wing Vegeta's private chambers were located on. 'Please let this be an uneventful evening,' she silently implored. She had not intended to greet the man already so emotionally drained. She wanted her defenses up, ready to swat any attempt at his mentally replacing her with his dead mate. But right now all she could think about was her own mateship problems and how her despondency had sent Radditz to another woman. 

'And here I am going to another man.' The chilling thought made her reflect upon a possibility she had refused to consider before. Perhaps she and Radditz were not meant to stay together. Perhaps the accident had changed her too drastically. Perhaps their separating would be best for all involved. She could not deny the twisted excitement that filled her when she had asked him to pursue another woman. Should a mate feel so willing to depart with her lover? Though the answer seemed simple, Bulma would not allow it to be. Her feelings had just been buried after the accident, she was certain of it. All she needed was time to uncover them, and time to prove Radditz was truly the man she wanted. 

Finally arriving at her destination, Bulma stopped outside of the door as she inhaled deeply. All she had to do was spend one evening with a man she was wrongfully attracted to. Eat with him, talk with him, and then return to her family at a decent hour, having broken an impending display of machismo. 'If only it can be that simple,' her eyes fell shut as she prayed it could be. Lifting her head and shaking off her discomfort, she raised her hand to knock on the door, 'Please let it be.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note: Ok, so the next chapter is the big date. How will the evening go? Will Radditz catch wind of where his 'mate' truly went? Find out next time… 


	8. Indiscretion

Surviving Together: Retribution   

Chapter 8 – Indiscretion

"Bulma," Vegeta whispered as he rested his head atop his late mate's tomb. Tracing the etching of her name with his fingertips, he softly spoke to her grave, "How betrayed you must feel." He could not bear thinking of the situation in reverse, seeing her turn to another man barely one year after his death. Regardless of how deeply appearances deceived, it made his blood boil. How could a widower find another woman so enticing so quickly?

"I am at a loss for what to do. I want no other woman but you, and yet, Atae _is_ you in every way imaginable. I am drawn to her as if she is you. How can I resist such a temptation?" He felt guilty asking her such a question, as if his actions could ever be justified, as if the lust he felt could ever be explained. He could not deny how harsh the sting of loneliness struck him every night he returned to an empty bed. Is it so wrong to desire companionship once again? A mother for his son? 

Yes. Of course it was. To welcome another woman into his life would be to forget the one woman who saved him, healed his heart, gave him reason to fight for survival and, most undeservingly, gave him a son. His heir, all he had left of her. "It should have been me, woman." His eyes fell shut as he relived the memory for the thousandth time… 

_"Vegeta, no!" Bulma's lips became freed as Cooler removed his hand so he could give the Emperor the means to his defeat. _

_"Wise choice," Cooler conceded, ignoring Bulma's objection, and throwing the Raiji tablet towards Vegeta. _

_The former Saiya-jin no ouji raised his hand to catch the pill, but it strangely never made it to him. "What the—" Vegeta felt his heart stop as he realized Bulma had snatched the capsule almost immediately after Cooler had released it. _

_Both Cooler and Vegeta had been too disoriented by the woman's sudden move for either of them to stop what was about to happen next. "I will not let you unleash hell on our son and this entire universe just to protect me, Vegeta," Bulma cried her intentions before swallowing the pill herself. It did not take more than a few seconds before her body went limp within Cooler's arms. _

_Time seemed to stop as Vegeta watched the helpless form of his mate collapse ungracefully onto the ground. Within a split second, Vegeta was on his knees, next to his mate, taking her lifeless body into his arms after Cooler had ever so sullenly dropped her. "Bulma!" Vegeta cried her name again in a vain hope she would awaken. "You will not leave me again!" he ordered before continuing to talk to her unresponsive body while furiously shaking her. "Damn it, woman," he cursed hopelessly, "I can't do this alone. The boy, our son, he needs you. I need you. Wake up, Bulma!" Even as his pleas continued, he received no answer. The alien tears that began to fall down his cheeks could not bring her to open her eyes. He growled, enraged by the bitter twist of fate that had befallen him, no amount of his pleading could reanimate her, just as no feeling of console could heal his pain.  _

"Damn it! How could I have been so foolish?!" his hand stopped just short of pounding down on the tomb. He would never forgive himself for letting Cooler outsmart him, or being so narrowly focused that he had left his mate with no other choice than to sacrifice her life to right what he knew would have been a mistake. "Never will I forgive myself." The vow sounded hollow as he slowly pushed himself to his feet. "I do not deserve a moment's peace when I have cost you your life. I do not deserve another woman to ease my pain. And you, Bulma, do not deserve my betrayal." He leaned down to kiss the marbled covering before pulling away regretfully. Departing from the mausoleum, Vegeta closed the door while taking a long breath. He knew what he had to do. He had to send Atae away. This evening had been a mistake. He would have to rectify it as soon as she arrived, if she arrived. 

Glancing at a nearby clock, Vegeta narrowed his eyes slightly. 'She's already half an hour late; perhaps she too had second thoughts.' He hoped so. It would certainly make matters easier for him. But no sooner did Vegeta allow himself a moment to relax under the prospect than he heard a knock at his door. With a quick forming frown, Vegeta approached the entrance. Silently preparing a speech that would send her away with as few questions as possible, he opened the door. 

The moment their eyes met, all thoughts of lies and departures vanished from Vegeta's mind. "I'm sorry I am late, Radditz returned to our chambers later than I had expected." The swelling of her eyes and the blotchiness of the skin underneath immediately alerted him to the probability that she had just come from a dispute. Though he was tempted to ask about what had transpired, he refrained as his body stepped aside to allow her access to his chambers, ignoring his conscience telling him to be rid of this woman before matters grew too seriously out of hand. But it seemed he could no sooner cancel their evening than forget about his mate. How could he pass up the chance to stare into those eyes for hours uninterrupted?

"It is not a problem," he answered casually as he guided her over to a table that he had had arranged for their interlude, earlier this morning. It was elegantly dressed but not in a romantic vein, as Vegeta had insisted. He did not want to give her any false impressions. After pulling a seat out for his guest, the former prince walked around the table and, like an entranced zombie, never tore his eyes from hers as he took a seat himself. 

Swallowing wholly, Bulma kept her eyes anywhere but on her host as she pretended to be interested in the decor of the room. It was very dark and painfully simplistic. Aside from the setup he clearly added for this evening, the gothic styled room had nothing more than a bed and a few small stands with a drawer or two. It was clearly a man's room, absent of a female touch. A consideration that made her swarm with empathy, and perhaps a little less hostility towards the awkward position he had forced her into. "I do not suppose you have any alcohol?" she had finally asked after what had felt like an hour-long staring contest. He was not making any effort to talk to her; it seemed he simply wanted to stare. 

Snapping out of his daze, her request slowly registered with Vegeta. With a sudden boisterous laugh, he rose from his seat to fulfill her desire. "So you wish to be inebriated for the evening?" he mocked while opening a bottle of imported wine. Though in the past the proud warrior had never dared pollute his body with the drug, since Bulma's death he had found himself relishing the oblivion overindulgence brought. "Aren't you afraid I may take advantage of you? You know, because I could easily mistake you for my mate?" he used her assumptions against her to poke mild fun. He sensed she was worried his intentions for inviting her were not as pure as he proclaimed. But, then again, perhaps they were not. 

"No actually," Bulma answered with a composure that seemed to impress her companion for the evening. "Thank you," she accepted the glass he offered and immediately placed it upon the table in front of her. Though she did not intend to actually drink any of its contents, considering she was still nursing her daughter, she had hoped the jested request would serve as an icebreaker to the uncomfortable situation. Her plan seemed to work. "Garock informed me earlier that you are the most chivalrous of men. He assured me I would have nothing to worry about." The advisor had been very helpful in setting all of her worries at ease this morning. He had given her ample insight as to her date's character. "He told me the circumstances of how you and your mate came together; he painted you as quite the knight in shining armor." Though she had meant the comment in praise, the almost angered shift in his disposition proved he had not taken it in such a light manner. 

Swallowing a large gulp of his drink, Vegeta returned to his seat with a heavy scowl upon his face. "Then he has filled you with an abhorrently falsified account," he replied testily, mentally reminding himself to have a word with Garock later about his personal life, and how it was not for public knowledge. "All I did was guard her virtue for a limited duration of time. I was just as helpless as she was during the reign of Freeza. I deserve no praise for my insufficient protection." 

"It sounds like you are too hard on yourself," Bulma offered softly. She did not know all the details surrounding the events of his past, but seeing how blatant his regard for the woman was, it was easy to assume his protection was as ample as he could have offered under the circumstances. "Your love for her is overtly apparent. Devoting all of your time obsessing over the moment of her death unfairly steals the honor from all her years of life. Perhaps you should think about that while you are spending so much time regretting the blemishes of your past with her." 

Flinching as if he had just been struck, Vegeta wondered briefly if this woman was telepathic. How could she be so aware of his feelings when he voiced them to no one? How could she offer advice that he knew in his heart was reflective of the same guidance Bulma would have offered him? "You have no right to speak as if you know me or my mate." He had not meant to lash out at her so scornfully, but he had never been faced with the feeling of such vulnerability before any other living being than his lost love. 

"My apologies then," Bulma took a deep breath as she lowered her eyes in regret. She was not certain what had caused her to speak so candidly about things she knew nothing about, but strangely, in that moment, she felt as if she was intimately acquainted with his predicament. As if his pain was so familiar to her, as if she understood what he had lived through, making some part of her feel compelled to comfort him, to help him heal from wounds she knew nothing about; how unnatural a compulsion for a mated woman. "Look," Bulma shook her head as she rose from her seat, "I am beginning to think this was a bad idea. Maybe we should just call it a night." 

Her quick retreat wrenched Vegeta to his feet as he moved to follow her. She could not leave, at least not yet. Though the compulsion was erratic, he knew he had to keep her here, with him, regardless of whether or not she was his to keep, "Atae!" She seemed to respond to his call immediately as she stopped dead in her tracks. However, the sudden stiffness of her back immediately alerted him that something else had invoked her response. Walking closer, he quickly realized what had distracted her. 

"Oh my god," Bulma whispered shakily as she grasped the photo of herself and Trunks that had been sitting on a stand right next to the door. She could not believe her eyes. "When you said I looked like her I thought you meant resembled or—I never thought—She's me—" The conclusion had been offered thoughtlessly as she looked upon her host with an apologetic expression. "No wonder you wanted to spend time with me, how easily you could forget..." 

Taking the photo from her hand, Vegeta neatly set the picture back in its place. "You are mistaken," he assured her after turning his gaze from the picture of Bulma with Trunks sitting on her lap. The memory had been captured not three full days before her death. She was placing a kiss on the boy's cheek, much to his embarrassment, as they sat together watching a sparring match. She had been so full of joy those few short days they had spent together before she was taken; how cruel the universe was, to dangle happiness before her and then so callously snatch it away. "I will never forget that my mate is dead." His tone was scathing; it was so unfair that this woman had to come into his life, reminding him every minute of what he had lost. 

"Then why _am_ I here?" she challenged his claim. The resemblance was flawless; even she had to admit that. Without his complete understanding that she and his deceased mate were two completely separate people, this little dinner he had planned would only be the beginning of his attempts to trick his mind into believing she was what he wanted her to be, his mate. But she could not allow him to fall under the power of such a myth; she had a mate and daughter to consider. She had to break him away from this insanity. 

"You know, that is a very good question." She was right of course, he did want her with him, because she reminded him of his mate, tempted him with the possibility of no longer being miserable and alone. But he could not tell her that, not when he could not even admit it to himself. So he had to deflect the inquiry. "Why are _you_ here? You told me prior to making the offer that you believed your mate strong enough to best me, so why agree to a bargain that would grant you no real gain?" 

Her bottom lip fell open slightly; he had corned her with a question she dared not answer. She believed Radditz could beat him in battle; there was no necessity to her dissolving the match, so why had she come? She feared this man already knew. "You are right. I have no reason to be here." She spat coldly in an attempt to flee the scene before any further embarrassment could ensue. She was not aloud to escape, however, as he slammed his strong hand against the door, barring her exit and trapping her back against his firm torso. 

"You are unhappy with Radditz," he whispered in her ear the answer he knew she dared not speak. Inhaling her scent huskily, he slowly dragged his left hand that was not blocking the door up the front of her chest before resting it against her heated right cheek. Twisting her face to meet his, he slowly concluded, "And you are attracted to me." Surprisingly his voice held no egotism. He was simply stating the facts as he saw them. 

Slowly closing her eyes, Bulma wished to hide her lust, but it seemed it was too late. He knew, and he expected her to acknowledge it to him. She would not. This evening was spinning out of control. She had to stop it; she had to stop him by making him see the truth, "And what about your attraction to me?" A mixture of anger and frustration filled her voice, anger at her body's weakness and frustration for not being free to give into it. "When you look at me, does you blood boil and your loins tense because you see your mate, or because you see _me,_ a woman who will never fill your love's shoes." 

It was a hard question to answer, especially since he had just confessed to never having the power to erase the memory of his mate. But he could not deny the passion he felt for this stranger. He knew too little of her for it to be any more than lust, but something inside him argued that what he was feeling was more than lust. But he would not accept that. No woman but Bulma ever invoked feelings stronger than infatuation within him. Certainly this replica could not. "I do not deny I have thought of tearing your cloths off and examining you more intimately to see just how like my mate you really are, but my attraction to you is no more than skin deep." 

She should have been offended. She should have felt as though a cold bucket of water had been dumped upon her as he told her pointblank that she was a pretty face to him, nothing more. But the insult did not seem to register properly. Her mind could not move past the image of him tearing her cloths off, the feel of his warm body pressing against hers, the powerful hand that caressed her face, and his hot breath against her cheeks. This was passion. A year without the sensation made it all the more transparent now. Her body was being pulled towards this man, unconcerned with logic's warning, and as she quickly realized, powerless to ignore it. 

Their lips were upon each other's, neither certain who had initiated the kiss, but both willingly partaking in it. Twisting her body around so she was flush against him, Bulma had voiced no complaints, as her feet were suddenly no longer touching the ground, her body being thrust up against the door behind her. Wrapping her legs around his trim waist, she dug her fingers into the abyss that was his chaotic hair. He tasted as good as he felt. "This is wrong." Though deep down inside she knew she did not mean it, she felt obligated to force it out during the few short seconds he had pulled away to allow her breath. It was so hard to think clearly while his fingers were running up her shirt, his clear destination her breasts.

"You're right," he agreed with an almost wicked smirk upon his lips as he wrapped his arms around her torso and carried her over to his bed. "We should be doing this in comfort." Dropping her ungracefully onto the mattress he crawled over of her until he was straddling her hips. Kneeling above her, he pulled his shirt over his head before returning to the lust filled woman beneath him. 

He was perfect, the passionate woman quickly realized as she ran her shaky fingers over his flawlessly chiseled physique. With her lips she kissed a slow trail from his abdomen all the way to his neck, stopping only momentarily over his heart, feeling the pounding of the organ. He wanted her, and she could feel it in more places than one. Unbinding her hair, she let her long tresses cascade over her upper body, a blatant invitation for him to forge on. Lifting her arms, she allowed him the freedom of removing her shirt. 

Vegeta was pleased to discover she had chosen not to wear a bra. Perhaps she had been hoping for this? Cupping her heavy mounds in the palms of his hands, Vegeta felt his stomach tighten. Same feel as Bulma, pert and swollen.  He pressed his lips over one, sucking, nipping, and massaging each as her back arched towards him in eagerness. Same taste as Bulma. Same reaction as Bulma. Same moan as Bulma. Was he truly losing his mind? 

Trying desperately to ignore the possibility, Vegeta continued with his ministrations. His body did not seem to care, as he continued paying heed to her breasts and then began to take the liberty of allowing his hands to start eliminating their pants; his mind held serious reservation about what he was doing. Too many questions still were not answered, too many uncertainties were being disregarded, but none of that matter the moment they were each stripped completely, leaving only their sweat-drenched bodies to grind against one another. 

The dance they joined in seemed rehearsed, as if they were already infinitely familiar with what was to come between them. Sliding between her legs, Vegeta's actions were the result of nothing more than instinct as he plunged desperately inside of her warmth. Not asking for her permission, or even looking into her eyes to see if she was still as overcome by lust as he was, at that moment, his body completely overpowered his senses as it recognized where its place was. So tight, so secure, so familiar, as if he was finally returning home. "Bulma," he groaned with his eyes closed, an unconscious reaction to the sheer recognition of her feel. It was her, his mate, the mother of his child, _Bulma_. At that moment, every fiber of his being knew it to be true.

"Vegeta," the soft reverberation of her true mate's name echoed from her lips as her body expanded to accommodate his size. He fit perfectly. His every stroke rocked to precision. He had a familiarity with her body that only two lovers could develop over time. It seemed unfathomable that she could find such oneness with a total stranger. _A stranger_, no, this was not a stranger. He was too warm, too welcoming, too recognized by her body. Closing her eyes she threw her head back as the sound of his voice echoed through her ears, _Bulma_. He kept repeating it; he was calling her by another woman's name, he was doing what she had feared, trying to deceive his mind into believing she was someone she could never be. "Vegeta, st—" Her fingers fell limp against his chest before she could push him away. Crying in delight, her body convulsed as he brought her to a state of mindless bliss. 

"Yes," Vegeta grunted as released his seed into her womb. Collapsing atop of her, he only remained crushing her under his body weight for a few moments before he rolled to his side, taking her figure softly with him. Looking down finally to see the thunderstruck woman's chest heaving, her eyes closed, and her lips trembling, his worries were quickly squelched. She had needed this as much as he did, perhaps even more, he surmised while running his fingertips through her damp hair.  

Regret for his actions were not to be felt that evening as he tightly pressed her body to his. He would not allow reason to steal this moment from him. Wrapping his arms more tightly around his partner, Vegeta glanced down to see she had already allowed sleep to overtake her, Vegeta sighed contently as he permitted himself to follow. Though he knew tomorrow would bring much grief and turmoil, he would savor the time he had right now, his first moment of peace in the last year. 

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Author's Note: Hmmm… It seems Bulma and Vegeta have 'reconsummated' their relationship. What will it mean tomorrow morning? Will there be regrets? Will the possibility that Bulma and 'Atae' are one and the same woman finally be a consideration for Vegeta? And what about Radditz? Will he be pissed to find his 'mate' never returned the night prior? I think that's a pretty safe bet, but to find out the rest, you need to tune in next time! 


	9. Empty Tomb

Surviving Together: Retribution   

Chapter 9 – Empty Tomb

"Bulma," Vegeta whispered as he woke to the familiar scent of lavender tickling his nose. As if in a dream, he opened his eyes to find the woman he loved lying comfortably in his arms. For the few seconds his mind was still clouded by sleep, he stroked his mate's hair, and tightly tucked her body against his while savoring the all too atypical serenity of being with his mate. 

Then reality kicked in. 

This was not _his_ mate. This was the mate to another man, and mother to another's cub. Jolting to sit upright, Vegeta felt his body stiffen in horror. 'What have I done?' In one spontaneous act, he had betrayed his deceased mate, taking a lover barely a year after her death. And not just any lover of course, an already mated woman, a mother, a person whom did not deserve to have her family ripped apart because of his selfish actions. 

'I have to fix this,' the plan seemed obvious, but the manner in which he would carry it out was near to impossible. Dropping his head in his right hand, Vegeta supported his elbow against his knee as he tried to make sense of his erratic behavior. What happened to all of his control? Damn it, he had gone ten fucking years not touching a single woman, excluding the Aphara incident, which certainly did not count, not even feeling a flicker of passion as he had with Bulma. How could this woman be so different?

Twisting his head to look down at the female in question, Vegeta sighed as he reached out his left hand to pull back the few stray strands of hair that had fallen wildly across her face. So like his mate. The same disheveled image after their lovemaking sessions, the same completely satisfied smile spreading lightly across her lips, the same enflamed bite mark that always darkened after their coupl—bite mark?

Shaking his head as if to brush off what was left of his sleep, to make certain what he was viewing was in fact what he believed it to be, Vegeta gently pulled all of Bulma's hair to the side, and lowered the covers so that nothing could obstruct his view of that juncture that connected her shoulder to her throat. "My mark," he would recognize it anywhere. Every Saiya-jin had their own distinctive bite, a testament to the impossibility of ever mistaking one man or woman's property for another. The mark he saw before him was unquestionable. 

Jumping off of his bed as if it had been set ablaze, Vegeta tried to make sense of what was before him. A woman who looked like Bulma, talked like Bulma, acted like Bulma, sounded like Bulma, smelled like Bulma, and bore his mark could only be one person, right? 'It can not be!' Vegeta shook his head as he spun away from her in disbelief. 

She was dead, he watched her die, he held her lifeless body in his arms, and he buried her for the gods' sake! She could not be alive! It made no sense. He had to be wrong! But his mark, it was as clear as crystal. Her feel, last night he had called her Bulma; she felt like Bulma, she reacted like Bulma, she—she had to be, but how? Lifting his eyes, Vegeta's gaze fell upon the door that brought him to the tomb, which he believed, housed his true mate. As if led by an external power, he walked to the entrance and quietly touched the identification pad that granted him access. 

Gliding his hand over the marbled crypt in a similar fashion as he had last evening, Vegeta stopped his groping at the latch to open the encasement. 'Forgive me, Bulma.' Never would he have imagined desecrating her burial chamber, but he had to know, he had to know once and for all if his mind had finally snapped. 

With a loud thud, the lid that enclosed her place of resting fell to the ground, revealing to Vegeta that he had been praying to an empty vault for the past months. "By the gods," he slowly paced backwards. He was the only being who had access to this room. It was impossible to have removed her body without his notice. "What the hell has been going on?" in a fit of fury he knocked over the rest of the crypt. Running his fingers through his hair, Vegeta found himself straining to keep his composure. Someone had taken his mate. Someone had been deceiving him for the last however many months. Someone—someone was going to pay. 

The sound of shuffling abruptly reminded Vegeta that he had what was now very possibly his resurrected mate in his bed. Returning to his chambers with hastened speed, he was disappointed to find her heading towards the exit. The fact that she was still in the process of putting her shirt on blatantly implied that she had not awakened with the same contented disposition he had. 

"Bulma, wait!" he managed to get to the door just before she could open it. "We have to talk."

Her face had been averted from his until she finally lifted her head to respond. "You called me Bulma again," she was crying, porcelain skin marred by dampness, her azure eyes swollen with redness. "For some reason I put up with it last night, but I won't this morning, so let me leave with what little dignity I have left." She tried to forcefully push past him, but he was not budging. Instead, he circled her face with the palms of his hands, looking at her with an intensity that held something unfamiliar, some kind of understanding, perhaps.

"How could I have ignored the truth for so long?" he asked more to himself than the woman standing before him; horrified to realize his state of depression clouded what he knew in his heart, how close he may have come to letting her slip through his fingers. 

"Let me go!" Bulma demanded as she pushed his hands away. She should have never allowed her anatomy to override her senses, now this man was experiencing full blown delusions, thinking she is his real mate. It seemed a cold slap of recognition was in order, "I have to get to my daughter, my two month old daughter, who I am sure is wailing to the heavens because you are keeping her from breakfast." She grasped an engorged breast for emphasis, the dampening of her shirt proof of her claim. 

Taking an uncomfortable step back, Vegeta found himself faced with a consideration he had carefully ignored before this moment, the child. If this woman was truly his mate, then—then he was no longer the only man who shared a paternal connection with her. But two months old, that means the child would have to have been conceived not much more than a month after her death or resurrection, or whatever the hell happened to her in those following weeks. 

But he knew his Bulma would never betray him, unless something was wrong with her mind. Is that it? Is that why this woman fails to recognize him? With her resurrection came some sort of damage to her memory?

So many questions he had to ask, the first one being about last night; but fate would not give him a chance, as Vegeta realized that while he was in his acute state of shock, his mate had disappeared from his chambers. "Damn it!" he hissed while thrusting his door open and scanning down the hall for the disappeared woman. When he registered no sign of her, he slammed his chamber doors, returning inside. 

Though in hindsight he recognized that it was better she had left, giving him time to sort out his turbulent state of mind while she attended to her daughter. But he sure as hell was not going to leave this alone for long. Atae and Bulma had to be one in the same person. He did not know how that was possible, but he was beginning to believe it. She had his mark, she felt the same, and the most flagrant of proofs, her tomb was empty. He just had to fill in all the pieces before he could confront her with what he was sure she would think a desperate attempt by a widower to reclaim the happiness he had with the woman he loved. But Vegeta would prove her wrong. No fantasy could ever be so vivid, so deceptive that he could forget his true mate. He just had to prove it. 

Grabbing his discarded clothes from the evening before, Vegeta redressed and left to seek out his colleague. If anyone could help him solve this impossibility, it was Garock. He only hoped the old man would not be as disinclined to believe him as Bulma had been. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"That's a good girl, Mommy is sorry she kept you waiting so long," Bulma had rushed to her daughter's side the moment she returned, ignoring the barrage of angered questions Radditz had thrown at her as she finally arrived. "Keep your voice down; you're scaring her," Bulma hissed at her believed mate as she watched him pacing back and forth across the room. He was angry, of course, but she would not have expected any less. She had been out all night. What was he supposed to insinuate besides the obvious?

"Where have you been, Atae?" His tone was softer as she requested, but nonetheless incensed. 

"Go fetch Garock, so after I finish feeding Bra we may have some privacy. I will explain everything to you then." She had to tell him the truth. If any sort of trust was ever to be reestablished between them, she had to confess her indiscretion and hope for his forgiveness. 

Time seemed to drag on as Radditz, against his better judgment, left to do as she had asked. Once he returned, a very confused Garock accepted the task of watching their daughter for an hour while they hashed out whatever skirmish was clearly brewing between them. Though the elderly man had his suspicions this dispute had something to do with Vegeta and the evening he had planned with this woman, he voiced none of his curiosity as he exited the room. He had a meeting with Trunks he was now late for, due to this misdirection. 

The moment the door clicked closed, Radditz's eyes turned deadly as they landed on Bulma. Flaring his nostrils, he approached her slowly. "You have Vegeta's scent on you." He stopped just barely a foot in front of her. "You preach to me, just yesterday, about how you are not ready to couple and then you go and fuck a total stranger!" His voice was loud, very loud; anger was oozing from his every pore. She had slept with Vegeta. Not a single damn memory of the bastard and she still falls into bed with him, while he has spent months trying to woo her and nothing!

"I am not proud of what I did," she offered in a soft voice, her head lowered in shame. "I can not explain what happened, I can not justify it, and I can not change it. All I can tell you is that I am sorry for hurting you, and assure you it won't happen again." 

"You're damn right it won't," he grabbed her arm, and for the first time since they began living together, he manhandled her. Dragging her into the bathroom, he just short of threw her into the shower, turning the water on and ordering, "scrub yourself until every last morsel of that bastard is off your skin and when you are done," he trapped her body between his oppressive arms as he whispered huskily, "you, Atae, are going to crawl into my bed and give me what you whorishly gave Vegeta last night." He roughly pressed his lips against hers. There was no gentility in his kiss like there was last night; this was purely primal, punishing in its intent. 

When he finally pulled away, Bulma lifted her hand to slap him, but he dodged it easily. "You can not force me to sleep with you," she slammed her hand against the nozzle so that she did not have to fight the water pressure to see his face. "You know, for someone who had an affair of his own yesterday, you are acting awfully high and mighty! Damn it, Radditz, I made a mistake, just like you did! You have no right to refuse me forgiveness when I gave it to you yesterday!"

"That's what this is about!?" He belted out a harsh laugh. "You had an affair to get back at me for fucking Keila?" 

"No!" She was screaming at the top of her lungs, "I had an affair because I wanted to! Because I am attracted to Vegeta, and—" 

"And not to me," he concluded her thought just above a whisper, the hard reality of what was lacking between them painfully clear. 

"Radditz, I am so sorry." Sorry for allowing it to be admitted, not for feeling the way she did, he felt certain. The consequences of bringing her here, seeing Vegeta and her son, was a fear he had overlooked in his pursuit of vengeance. Ignoring the possibility that the pull their bond held would be stronger than the months of work he had put into making her love him as she thought she did Vegeta, it seemed his effort was all for naught. Vegeta's claws were too deeply entrenched into her flesh. His only hope of breaking the spell was to kill him, and kill him he must. "Radditz, where are you going?" Bulma screamed after him as he exited the bathroom and stopped at the entrance to their chambers. "Please, do not do anything rash." It was insane that she was worried about Vegeta's safety, but she was. She did not want him to suffer because of her weakness. 

"He has to die, Atae. It is the only way I can have you all to myself," half insanely he confessed, no longer rational enough to try and keep his cover well protected. All he could see in his blind rage was Vegeta, with his mate, in bed together. His ki flared in fury. 

"No, he does not, Radditz." She hastened to reach him, grabbing his arm, trying to look into his eyes, estimating his reaction. "We can leave tonight, and never return. Please, Radditz, let us just forget all of this; Keila, Vegeta, and start over again. We have a child together, we have to fix this!" How, she did not know, but she had to stay with Radditz. He loved her for who she was, not because he thought she was his dead mate. The realization of her bitterness suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks. Why did she care if Vegeta wanted her for herself? He was not her mate, Radditz was. It is Radditz she loves. So why does she feel so empty with him? Why did she have to now know Vegeta's touch and how pathetic it now makes Radditz's feel. Her entire world was falling apart, and just after she finally found some stability. She had to set this right, but violence was not going to be the means of doing it. 

"You do not understand, Atae, I am doing this so we can be together. It's the only way," he briefly kissed her on the forehead before exiting the room. He should have anticipated the affair, but he did not, so he will take the full blame for her indiscretion. He should have never brought her here in the first place, but he was going to rectify that now. Once Vegeta was dead, nothing would stand in the way of their being together, _nothing_. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"How did you discover this?" Vegeta asked, thoroughly dazed by the shocking deductions his son had made. When he had left his chambers to seek out Garock, he had been led to the science wing, only to find Trunks had been working diligently to prove what Vegeta had not believed until this morning. 

"I may have broken into Radditz's ship and searched his private computer," Trunks offered nonchalantly as he shrugged his shoulders, "and then had the data analyzed to see if there was any validity to it." 

"And is there?" Vegeta had to know. If this planet Namek and this mystical dragon are real, then Bulma and Atae could actually, may the gods forbid he let himself hope, be one and the same person; making all the bizarre similarities between this mystery woman and Bulma, finally make sense. 

With a long nod, Trunks pointed to a computer console, "a fleet arrived just an hour ago. The planet Namek is real, now they just have to find this dragon to prove the myth, is not really a myth." Proud of his work, Trunks waited for praise from his father, but all he received was a blank stare. Clearly he was having a hard time accepting this. "You do not believe me, do you?"

It took Vegeta several moments to register the question before he shook his head, a mixture of absolute elation, and infuriation of this deception quaking through his veins. "Quite the contrary, I am now more sure than ever that Atae is your mother. We just have to prove it." 

Ready to ask what had suddenly changed his father's mind on the subject, after having been so adamant about not considering Atae was his mother, Trunks abruptly found his attention redirected as Garock strolled into the science lab, with unexpected cargo in his arms. "Sorry I am late," Garock apologized to Trunks before he realized Vegeta was present as well. "Sir, w—what are you doing at this end of the castle so early in the morning?" The data was still too incomplete for Vegeta to be told, but it seemed Trunks had jumped the gun in telling him anyway, impatient boy. 

"I told him all about Namek; he thinks Atae is Mom, too!!" Trunks smiled in excitement as he reached up to touch the girl's hand in greeting. He froze mid-grasp as he realized she was a part of the equation he had not considered. If Atae was his Mom, then Bra was his sister, but only his half sister. Unless… Trunks' eyes roamed over to Bra as he watched the young girl staring at his father with a toothless smile on her face, her hands clapping in excitement. She seemed ecstatic to see him, almost drawn to him, perhaps? He could not help but wonder… 

"What are you doing with her?" Vegeta asked Garock, oblivious to the wheels spinning frantically in his son's mind. 

"Radditz found me, wanted me to watch her while he and Atae had some time alone to argue. At least that is what I assumed in consideration of their volatile emotions." He gave Vegeta a hard look, clearly curious about how much this man knew about their quarrel. 

"I should go make certain she is all right," Vegeta instinctively offered. If Radditz had smelled his scent on Bulma when she returned to their chambers, then he would have known they had slept together. And if Vegeta recalled the second class's temper, the bastard practiced no holds barred when he was enraged. Neither men, nor women, nor children were spared. Clearly it was from that foresight that Bulma had ordered Bra be sent away, not to be exposed to the dangerous confrontation. 

"Dad, wait!!" Trunks grabbed his father's arm before he could leave. 

"Not now, Trunks," Vegeta tried again to leave, but his son blocked his path a second time. 

"Look, I need a sample of your hair before you go." He did not allow his father a chance to object as Trunks used his ki to clip off a few strands of his black mop. Taking the clipping, he securely tucked it into his pocket as he turned his attention to the child in Garock's arms. 

"What the hell is wrong with you, boy?" Vegeta snapped as he fanned the smoke from his hair out. He could not afford to lose any of his mane, did the boy not know a pure Saiya-jin's hair does not grow back!?! 

"Sorry Dad, but I need it for a little test." He flew up to, without asking, take Bra from Garock's arms and then headed off to find Euran, promising he'd be back in a 'little bit.' Deciding to question his son's odd behavior at a later date, Vegeta focused himself on finding Bulma to make certain her false mate was not abusing her. "Garock, come with me," the pair headed towards the chambers Radditz and 'Atae' had been given. There would be hell to pay if he found so much as a hair out of place on the blue haired beauty. 

Not more than a few corridors away, Vegeta and Garock stopped cold in their tracks as they came face to face with their clearly enraged target, only he was not as they had expected to see him. His hair was a golden blond, and his eyes were a deep emerald as he chanted cyclically, "Kyousou Netoru, Vegeta; Imaima!" 

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Translations: Kyousou Netoru – Contest to Steal Another's Mate

                    Imaima – Right Now 

Author's Note: Hmmm… Looks like Vegeta and Radditz are not going to wait the rest of the week for their Kyousou Netoru. Who will be victorious? And what about the 'test' Trunks wants to run, what will the results be? Then there is the fleet on Namek, what will they learn about the dragon?? Oh, so much to deal with! Next chapter in a few… 


	10. Retribution

Surviving Together: Retribution   

Chapter 10 – Retribution

"Kyousou Netoru, Vegeta, Imaima!" 

"It can not be," Garock was the first to voice a response as the sight of one infuriated Super Saiya-jin came into his line of vision. 

"Now I know there has to be some sort of mystical dragon, there is no way in hell this second class reject could be the legendary." Vegeta's fists were clenched, his anger slowly boiling as unstable as Radditz's. 

"Kyousou Netoru, Imaima!" The reiteration of his original demand was followed by a ki blast that came so quickly, Vegeta barely had enough time to throw Garock out of the way. Radditz was fast, too fast, this was not going to be an easy battle, but then again, what self respecting Saiya-jin wanted an easy battle? Certainly not the Saiya-jin no Ouji.  

"All right Radditz," Vegeta rose to his feet, brushing off the dust he had been coated with after the explosion, "You want this Kyousou Netoru? You will have it," he removed his cape, and then took a few moments to stretch. "And when it's over, I will not only take your life, but your mate and cub as well." 

It was the kindling that finally set the battle aflame as Radditz, with an ear piercing battle cry, charged at Vegeta, chanting his intention, "mononisuru Atae!" 

Watching from the sidelines, Garock immediately felt the inevitable eerie quake of doom as he watched the two men disappear from the dilapidated passageway. No doubt Vegeta was going to try and guide the man as far away from the castle as possible. It had already been rebuilt once last year, he did not want to see it become a tradition. 

"What the fuck is going on?!" a series of cursing and screaming began to echo down the hall as soldiers crawled from the wreckage, demanding an explanation for being shot at. 

"Get a crew down here to start working on cleaning up this mess," Garock began belting out orders in Vegeta's stead, "I want guards tripled at all locations where there are civilians. But no one, not a single person is to follow the battle at hand. With the levels of energies combating, anyone who crosses their path could lose their life!"

"Who's he fighting?!"

"Yeah, who is strong enough to take on the Emperor?"

"Is it that guy who landed a few days ago? I heard his woman looks just like the Emperor's dead mate."

"Figures; a damn woman is to blame for my room being blown up!"

"Enough, all of you!" Another series of questions were volleyed back and forth between the uninformed soldiers, but Garock had no time to answer any of them. "You have your orders; now do as I told you!" Not waiting to make certain his instructions were followed, Garock raced towards an unblemished wing of the castle, a wing that housed the one person who may be able to stop this battle before anyone had to lose their life. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You touched what was mine, Vegeta. You had no right to lay with another man's mate! You have dishonored the most precious of codes we Saiya-jins have to follow!!" The blatant hypocrisy in his words was completely lost on the possession driven warrior as he fought a man he once believed to be his better. "You will never have Atae!!"  

"Atae!?" Vegeta mocked, blocking his elder's every assault. "You mean that figment of your imagination? No, Radditz, you seem to have this all backwards. _I _am the one defending his mate against an opposing force trying to steal what was _never _his to claim. So if either of us was dishonoring the codes of our people, it was you when you did whatever the hell it was that stole my mate from her grave." "A grave you put her in!" A fist came barreling down across Vegeta's face, a physical blow to match the verbal sting of his words. "_Your_ mate died because you were too _weak_ to protect her! Atae will never have such a fear with me, she is my whole world, my first and only priority; she will always be safe!" "_She_ is not yours to keep safe!" Vegeta regained his bearings and in retaliation wedged his knee into his opponent's chest. "You can not even admit that she's not yours! But I know, Radditz, I have seen my mark! You somehow stole my mate, _my_ mate! I do not know how the fuck you did it, but if you think I am going to allow you to keep her from me, while there is still breath in my body, then you have seriously underestimated her importance to me!" Grabbing a fist full of Radditz's golden locks, Vegeta retracted his knee from the man's stomach, and pulled it up to smash into his enemy's face. Releasing his hold, he sent Radditz spinning to the ground. "So how did you do it?" Vegeta demanded as he slowly lowered himself to the surface. Once his feet were planted soundly, he crossed his arms defensively; careful not to be unprepared for whatever his challenger may throw at him. 

"Have you ever heard the phrase, 'finders, keepers,' Vegeta?" Radditz chuckled as he pulled himself to his feet, shaking the dirt from his hair before striking a pose reflective to that of his adversary. "The day you allowed Cooler to kill your mate was the day you no longer held any claim over her." Radditz paused to spit some blood that had gathered in his mouth, he wanted to be completely articulate as he advised his former prince of just how seriously he had underestimated him. "I know your son hacked into my computer system, so I will merely expand on what you surely already know. The planet I landed on, the peoples who helped me recover after you and Nappa left me for dead, were the Namek's. I mean just imagine my luck, to land on a planet where its inhabitants not only know how to heal the unnaturally wounded, but they protect a treasure that only in myth one would dare imagine." 

With an irate growl, Vegeta snapped impatiently, "Cut the dramatics and get to the part where you stole my mate!"

"The Nameks are actually a quite gullible people, always willing to look for the best in even the most evil of creatures," Radditz continued without pause, he was not going to be interrupted from telling his proud tale of victory over his rival's oppressions. "A mentality I easily took advantage of. After slowly gaining their trust, I laid out a damning case against Freeza, offering them the chance to help me bring him down. And what better way to see to Freeza's end, of course, than by becoming the legendary myself?"

"You had to use this 'mystical dragon' to make you a Super Saiya-jin?" Vegeta could not help but snicker at the obviousness. "Of course, that explains it. A low class like you could not possibly do so without some sort of divine intervention." 

Clenching his fists to the point where they turned a purplish shade of blue, Radditz forced himself to continue, ignoring his rival's insult. "However, by the time I had achieved the feat and set off to seek my revenge, you had already ascended. Embittering as my timing was, I had been far from discouraged. I began biding my time, gathering a crew of my own, as well somewhat of an impressive reputation while I waited for the opportune time to face you, when I was certain you had no hope of besting me in battle. Just my luck, the opportunity practically slapped me in the face when I learned of your mate's death. How interesting it was to learn that the little slave girl you had fallen so pathetically for had actually survived and bore a son for you. Her death was simply too perfect." 

"So Trunks was right, you used the dragon that made you a Super Saiya-jin to bring Bulma back to life and erase her memory so you could fabricate some ridiculous tale about her being your mate, all for the purpose of flaunting in my face what you had and I did not?" As infuriating as the scenario was, Vegeta could not help but tip his hat to the man's ingenuity, "Brilliant plan, except for the fact that Bulma still recognized me, perhaps not from her memories, but through our bond we are eternally connected, making it impossible for you to ever have her." 

"As long as you are alive, perhaps," Radditz reminded all too cleverly. "You never completed your bond to her, which means if you die, she will be free to properly mate me, the man she truly wants." 

Unable to control a burst of laughter, Vegeta threw his head back in mirth. "Want you? Oh that is rich! If she wanted you so badly, then why was she writhing beneath me as I brought her to the pinnacle of ecstasy last n—" The ruler's chuckle was cut short as his larger opponent came rushing into him at a ferocious speed, jealousy fueling his every vicious attack. 

"Haizan! Atae Haizan!" the infuriated Saiya-jin insisted as he landed punch after punch on his adversary before interlocking his fingers, and raising his fists up to come violently down upon Vegeta, sending the smaller man spiraling to the ground. "No more talk, we end this now!" Radditz declared as he began gathering the bulk of his ki to focus into a massive blast that would ensure his challenger's death before he had a chance to make it to his feet. "You die now, Vegeta!" He released the blast at the very moment he saw a woman run in front of his line of fire. 

"Radditz, stop this!" Her vision was too weak to see that he had already released his attack. She had turned her back to him, kneeling down to his enemy, trying to revive the bastard. Damn it!

It was purely instinct and determination that had allowed his body to move fast enough to block off the attack before it had a chance to hit ground, and hold it at bay long enough for him to bark out to the much too slowly recovering Vegeta, "Get her away from here!" Before Bulma knew what was happening, Vegeta had pushed himself out of the crater his body created and with his arm snaked around her waist, they were airborne. 

"Radditz!" she had cried minutes after the massive energy blast had dissipated and Vegeta finally felt it was safe enough for them to touch ground. Fighting from her possessor's grasp, she ran to the charred body of a man she had called her mate for the last year. "Radditz," she collapsed beside him, lifting his head, with once again blackened hair, to rest in her lap. "Please say something." She wiped the blood from his battered face, giving him a slight shake; she tried desperately to revive him. 

"Atae," she heard the blissful sound of her name after several long coughs. "Are you… all—alright?" 

"Yes, yes, of course, I am fine, oh gods, Radditz, I thought I had lost you," She clenched his head to her chest, angered she had not arrived at the battle to stop this sooner. "This is all my fault," her tears started flowing endlessly. "I should have never betrayed you, gods, if I hadn't you would have never felt the need to prove yourself—"

"I… I would have… anyway." He just barely managed to reach up to cover her lips with his bloodstained fingers. "I've be—betrayed you… I have been lying to you, Atae." He coughed, blood splattering onto her shirt as he as tried to complete his confession before it was too late. "I suppose this… This is fate's retribution for choosing my vendetta over… over you… But I…" his words were too choked; he could barely finish them as he wrapped his fingers around her soft cheek one last time, "I am… I am so sorry… I… I loved you… Bulma." His eyes had fallen shut, as if to finally admit to himself that she was not truly his, had been the final destruction of his body. 

"Radditz—Radditz, no!" she dropped her face against his lifeless body, sobbing uncontrollably, for the loss of his life, and the horrid truth that had come with it, _Bulma_. He had called her Bulma, proving in his final words that Vegeta had been right this morning. She was another man's rightful mate. 

"It is alright, woman," a masculine voice echoed in her ears as she felt two comforting arms pull her away from Radditz's corpse to securely hold her against a familiar warmth. 

"This is all my fault," she sobbed as she buried her face against Vegeta's neck. "He did this because he loved me, but I… I could not love him back, because—"

"Because you love me," the dark man completed the impossible thought she barely could, "Because he lied to you, deceived you; he kept you from me, from your son. By the gods, woman, do not mourn him, you should be glad he is gone." 

"Glad!" She pushed her body away violently, wiping her eyes as she forced herself to her feet. Shaking her head, she unwaveringly disagreed, "I do not care what lies he told, he is still the man who took care of me this last year, who held my hand as I nearly died in birthing, he gave me every luxury a woman and her daughter could ever want, who—my god, he gave his life to save me just now, and you want me to be glad he is dead!?" She was furious, her emotions impossible to suppress as she admitted, "He was my mate, we—my god, we have a child together! Oh, what will I ever tell Bra?"

"I do not think you have to tell her anything, I think she already knew," a young voice in the distance slowly echoed over to Bulma and Vegeta. Looking over to see her daughter in the arms of Vegeta's son, Bulma rushed half way to meet the pair, snatching her daughter from the young man as soon as their paths collided. 

"Oh, my sweet baby girl," Bulma held the girl as tightly to her as she could without causing any injury. "Mommy's so sorry," she was not certain exactly what she was sorry about, but her mood was so apologetic, she could barely control the sorrow weeping from her lips. 

"Are you OK, Dad?" Trunks looked the dirtied and bruised man up and down a few times to make certain he had no serious injuries. After receiving a stiff nod in reply, the boy ventured to ask. "Don't you two want to know what I found out?" He directed his question to both, yes now he was certain, of his parents. 

"I am sure it is nothing new, Radditz just made a full confession to me," Vegeta chimed in before his son needed to waste his breath, "And then confirmed it before his death, to Bulma. We know for sure she is your mother." Vegeta's eyes gravitated to the woman in question. It irked him to no end that she was not in the least excited to have her rightful life back. She should be doing back flips, not lamenting actions she took while only half informed. Damn Radditz!

"I was not talking about Mom, I told you I knew all along who she was," he crossed his arms in a clearly 'I told you so' type manner. "I was talking about what I learned about Bra."

"My daughter?" the boy's news finally caught Bulma's attention, "What—What about her? She is alright, isn't she?" 

"Much better by my estimation," he smiled cheek to cheek as he walked over to his mother, restraining the urge to tackle her with a hug for fear of hurting his sister. "I hope you do not mind, but I asked one of my friends in the science lab to run a paternity test on Bra." 

"What?!" a simultaneous roar of outrage cried from both Vegeta and Bulma. 

"Hey, do not flip out on me, until you hear the results." Trunks threw his hands up in defense, he tries to do a good deed and this is the thanks he gets! "I knew something was not right about the way Bra's been drawn to Dad, and not Radditz. So I had the test run to prove my gut instinct was right. Bra's not Radditz's daughter, she's Dad's." Bulma and Trunks both glanced over to Vegeta, mother with a wide-eyed expression, and son with a satisfied smirk. The young girl in question seemed to only reinforce her brother's discoveries as she swung her arms up and down with an openmouthed cheer. 

"B—But how can that be?" Bulma whispered, at a loss for words as she looked down at her lively daughter. 

"Boy, if you are lying—" Vegeta began to threaten, but Trunks stopped him quickly, insult showing all too clearly upon his face. 

"Why would I lie, Dad?" Rational, he just had to give a rational explanation for his father to believe him. "I mean think about it, if Mom was pregnant when she died, then if she was brought back to life it only makes sense that the child she was carrying would be brought back too."

It was _possible_, of course. In the short week he had been with her after those long ten years apart, they had spent most of their time in his bedchambers, re-consummating their relationship. And, lord knows, they had been too wrapped up in one another to even consider taking any methods of birth prevention. But could it really be true? "Is it possible, Bulma?" Vegeta chose to direct the question towards the one woman who would know best. As much as he did not want to hear about whatever sex life she had shared with Radditz, he needed to know if this child was truly his. 

For some time she did not answer, her head stayed plastered to her daughter, before she gathered the courage to glance over at her inquirer. Slowly pacing over to the Emperor, Bulma locked eyes with the second time father before wearily nodding her head. "A month after my 'accident,' or at least what I thought was my accident, I learned I was pregnant. I had not slept with Radditz before then, so I assumed I conceived before my amnesia, but if I was actually dead then—" She said no more, her eyes watering again, the intensity of her words hitting a hard note. After placing a protracted kiss upon her daughter's forehead, Bulma lifted Bra into Vegeta's hold. "I—I need some time alone, can you… watch her for me." 

She did not wait a second after his agreement before heading back towards the castle at a hurried pace, leaving Vegeta to order his son not to follow the distressed woman. "Give her some time to digest all this. I think we all need a little bit of that." The Saiya-jin's eyes lowered to the girl in his arms. "My daughter," the concept was so foreign to him, but the feel was natural. He could kick himself for not recognizing it sooner. He felt the connection, the same one he had with Trunks when they first met, he should have known sooner, he could have saved them all much heartache. "Come, boy," Vegeta ordered as he began heading back to the castle himself. He would have to find Garock, and have him clean up the external mess that Radditz had created, while he worked on the internal damage, the damage to his family. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Bulma," Vegeta had been stunned to find his beautiful mate sitting nervously upon his bed, no doubt having waited anxiously for his arrival. "Is everything alright?" She had purposefully avoided him for the rest of the day following Radditz's death. As disheartening as it was that she had chosen to handle her emotions on her own, without his support, he had accepted it, not pushing for a dialogue the one time she had emerged from her room to reclaim their daughter for a bath and meal. But now it seemed she was ready to talk, he could only hope what she had to say would be less unsympathetic as their last exchange had been. 

"Bra and I are both physically fine, if that is what you meant by 'alright.' Your son—Our son," she corrected herself with some awkwardness, "along with Garock, agreed to watch her tonight while we—we talk." She fumbled with her hands, unsure of what to do with them before finally resting them on her lap. Closing her eyes, her shoulders slouched as she tried desperately to calm herself.  

"You want to know about your past," Vegeta made the obvious assumption as he disarmingly took a seat next to her on his bed. "Where should I begin?" He did not know how well she would handle hearing the trying tale of their past together; all the pain, anguish, the heartbreaks and defeats. It still boggled his mind to no end that by some miracle they had managed to survive so much and still find their way back to each other. "I suppose I should start with how we met, you see, your planet h—" 

"I do not care to hear about my past," her disinterest was cold and precise, proving to him in a split second that it was not the ignorance of her past that had brought her here. "I came to ask that you grant clearance for Radditz's ship to depart immediately. We want to travel to Namek to—"

"Of course, Bulma, I will take you to Namek myself to see that your memories are properly restored." No wonder she did not feel the need to have her past retold in gory detail, she intended to simply restore what she had lost. "I know those people are whom you have become familiar with as of recent, but I am your true mate, I will take care of you." 

"You do not understand," she shook her head, as she pressed her feet to the ground so that she could thrust herself from the bed. "I do not want to go to Namek to restore my memories; I want to go there to bring Radditz back to life." 

Vegeta sat staring at her for what could have been seconds, minutes, or hours. He had no sense of time as his mind fought to comprehend her intentions. "You want to bring back to life the man who stole yours?" He too was on his feet with that note of indignation. Clasping his forearm behind his back he began pacing the room, trying to find her rationale. "He kept you from me—from your _son_ for a fucking year, and you want to thank him by restoring his worthless life?" It made no sense; any debt she had imagined to the bastard for restoring her life should have been voided after learning of his deceit unless… Vegeta froze mid-step, his back stiffening as he twisted his head only slightly over his shoulder as he suggested, "You're in love with him." 

The long break before her response answered his absurd statement louder than words ever could. "I do not know what I feel." He could practically hear her heart beating right out of her chest, the circumstances clearly no easier on her than they had been on him. "I know I am drawn to you as instinctively as our daughter is, and that I am attracted to you as though we are intimate lovers, but… But I do not remember you. I see you as a man I met just days ago, whom I had a affair with that resulted in the death of my ma—" 

"Do not say it!" he spun around to stop her before he had to hear his title bestowed on another man. "He is not your mate, I am!" Grasping her arms in a firm, but painless, grip he insisted, "We did not have an affair, a properly mated man and woman can not have an 'affair' with each other! It is simply absurd!" She was not going to accept what they were to one another until she released the lies she had become accustomed to. 

"I know, and I am sorry," she lowered her head as she confessed. "I am sure this last year has been hell for you and Trunks, thinking I was dead, not knowing you had a—a daughter, but it was not that way for me. Radditz took care of Bra and I. He was an amazing support through my pregnancy, and yes, I believe part of me fell in love with him, regardless of what lies he had told me, his actions spoke louder. He did not hurt me or threaten me, he was a perfect gentleman; I mean, my gods, even in a blind fury fighting you, he gave his life to save me, and though that may mean little to you, it means a great deal to me. It proved he is not all bad, and at the very least, I think deserving of a second chance." 

"A second chance at life, or a second chance with you?" Vegeta barely contained his jealousy as he released her arms, his temper becoming almost too volatile to keep in check. 

"Do not be absurd," his optimism that she would prove him wrong, finally denouncing the man, fleeted the minute she followed her indignant tone with the most evasive of answers, "We share two children, I would never be kept from them, or keep them from their natural father." 

Vegeta laughed, a long, hard, gut wrenchingly painful laugh, "What a martyr you make yourself sound like." 

"I am just trying to be honest," she was not certain why she felt the need to justify herself to this or any other man. She had been the one wronged in this situation. Why should she feel guilty for her frankness?

"You know what? I think it is an excellent idea." Vegeta nodded his head, his disposition changing from one of mockery to dead seriousness. Turning on his heel, he walked over to his private comlink and contacted Garock who shortly after appeared on the screen. "What can I do for you, sir?"

"I want you to send word to the fleet I have on Namek that I want this 'mystical dragon' to grant two wishes. I want Bulma's memories restored as well as Radditz's life. Is that clear, Garock?"

After a long series of stuttering, the elder man barely nodded, promising the orders would be made immediately. Once the screen went blank, Vegeta turned back to his mate with a weary look upon his face. "Radditz's corpse was taken to the medical wing of the castle; I will send word that you are to be granted private access to him." He then walked past her and opened the door of his room. 

"You are kicking me out?" She raised a confused brow as she followed him to the door. 

"No, Bulma, I am giving you the chance to decide what you really want." He clenched his fingers tightly around the doorframe as he held it steady. "Within the hour you will have more than just transitory feelings for me; you will remember everything we shared. But I do not want you because of what our past held; I want you because of what you will know our future will bring. I want you to be of unbiased mind when you decide what—or whom it is that you want. And once you do that, I want you to tell me what you have chosen. Not because of your children or any obligations you feel you have acquired this year, I want you to come back, look me in the eye, and tell me what you want. If you can do that, without hesitation, I can abide by whatever choice you make." 

With a half smile, Bulma nodded her head as she circled in front of him to exit the room. She stopped just outside of his door in amused recognition of what she believed his motives for doing this were, "So you are _that_ confident. You will allow a man you perceive as your rival to be brought back to life just to prove to me you are the man I really want." 

With a forced smile, Vegeta shook his head. "Quite the contrary," he lifted his eyes to glance one final time at his mate without any recollection of him. "I need _you_ to prove to me that the last twelve years of my life have not been an illusion." 

The door closed, not to open again until he had the answer that would guide the remainder of his life into either its first true peace, or prove what he had always feared most about their relationship, that the trappings of life, first Freeza's enslavement, then her impromptu motherhood, and finally her early death by Cooler, had cornered her lonesome emotions to rest without choice upon him. 

May the gods help him if she returned only to prove his most private fear. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Translations: Kyousou Netoru – Contest to Steal Another's Mate

                    Imaima – Right Now

                  Mononisuru – To Take Possession of

                  Haizan - Mine

Author's Note: Ah, so the truth is all out in the open! But will Vegeta's determination to have Bulma without out any indecision cost them everything? Can their love endure this final test? Well, you will all just have to wait until the conclusion of _Surviving Together: Retribution_ to find out… 


	11. Surviving Together

Surviving Together: Retribution   

Chapter 11 – Surviving Together

A hand struck hard across Radditz's face the moment he sat up in disbelief to have his life back. "Atae?" he blinked in confusion before the back of the hand that he had just been struck with hit his other cheek. 

"_Bulma_, you sick freak! My name is BULMA!" Both hands this time shifted towards him, their clear destination around his neck. Grasping her wrists before she could touch him, he tried to hold her wrath in check. 

"What's going on? How am I alive?" He gave her a slight shake, demanding an answer to his question before all else. And he got it, though he would have preferred a reply somewhat less belligerent. 

"This is retribution, Radditz." She retracted her hands, and then intertwined her arms tightly across her chest. "So that when you leave my home, I will feel absolutely no sense of debt towards you for bringing me back to life. When we part ways, I want no lingering connection to you. I never want to see you again." 

Swallowing wholly, Radditz felt a slight smile pull at his lips; however, there was no joy behind the expression, merely understanding. "You have your memories back." It explained the hostility perfectly. After all, not only was she now perfectly conscious of every single lie and deception he had weaved throughout her life this past year, she knew him for the years of Freeza's reign, she knew him at his most depraved. No wonder her sparkling blue eyes were engulfed by fury. "You might not believe this, but for the record, I did—I do love you. And I would—I gave my life to protect you. You must believe that." 

"You would not have had to give your life if you had not lied to me in the first place, Radditz." Her tone was somewhat softer as she leaned exhaustedly against the table his body had been laid out upon. "And if you loved me, Radditz, if you truly loved me, you would have let me go to the man I truly wanted _instead_ of trying to kill him." Her eyes narrowed as her face turned to lock with his. It seemed his assault on her true mate had been her dominant quarrel with him; that, however, he could defend himself against. 

"I will not apologize for my vendetta against Vegeta, but damn it, A—Bulma," he found it difficult to correct himself. An entire year of calling her by another name, the name of the woman he loved, had made the correction difficult. "Do not tell me my love is false simply because I refused to part with you. No man in his right mind would willingly stand aside and watch you walk into another's arms!"

"Vegeta has." Her head lowered as she quietly admitted, "He made the order that you be brought back just so I could choose who it is that I truly want. _He_ is willing to let me go if it means making me happy; _that_, Radditz, is love." She allowed him a moment to decipher what she was saying before bluntly admitting, "I do not love you. I did not love you during the year I spent at your side, and do not love you now, especially now that I know all your trespasses. You kept me from my son, my mate, my life for an entire year; you deprived my daughter of her father and—and I can not even hate you for it." Her voice trembled as she bit her bottom lip, trying to control her emotions. 

"Then you do care for me," a shining hope welled in his eyes. It took no more than a moment for it to be dashed. 

"No, Radditz, I feel sorry for you. I feel sorry because I know there is a part of you that is inherently good, but you went the completely wrong way about bringing it forth. I cannot care for a man I cannot trust, and you, Radditz, I do _not_ trust." Silence, it filled the room for an excessive amount of time, Bulma having clearly felt her peace had been spoken, and Radditz feeling lost for a response. 

"If that is how you feel," Radditz finally responded stiffly as he rose from his bed. Keeping his back to her, he decided not to waste his time arguing with her, trying to change a mind he knew he had no control over. She did not care for him, did not love him, so be it. He was surely not entitled to her love after the lies he had told, but even as bitter and angered as he should be about her rejection, he was not. Knowing that she was alive and well, and that some part of her, regardless of what she insisted, had been concerned for him enough to have his life restored, proved this was not the end for him. Hope was perhaps still left for an honest mateship, not built on lies or deception, but on those softer emotions he had barred for so many years, emotions he now realized were very precious to him. "But know that I will never stop caring for you."

As he left the room he did not want to think about where Bulma was to go next. He did not want to think of the two lovers rekindling their relationship now that she had all of her memories back. He simply wanted to make way to his ship and get the hell off the planet before he lost anything else. 

"I told you she was not worthy of you," a feminine voice caressed Radditz's ears as an arm boldly circled his waist.

"I am not in the mood, Keila." Radditz kept on walking, not pushing the female away, but not fully accepting the gesture either. 

"Your ship is waiting for you, Captain, we are all so glad you are back with us." Her deep eyes penetrated his, the intimacy of her suggestion a surprising comfort. Yes, perhaps he was not a lost cause. After all, hell froze over once to redeem Vegeta, why not a second time for him?

"I am glad to be back," he uncrossed his arms and stretched a muscular limb around the thin female. "Let's get the hell out of here."  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So let me get this straight," Trunks shifted his sister in his arms as he glared at his father. "You not only had that piece of sh—" he stopped himself before his sister had to be exposed to his colorful language, "brought back to life, but you basically gift wrapped Mom and handed her to him!?" 

"This has nothing to do with you, boy. Take your sister to Garock. The two of you are to watch her for the evening." He did not want to talk about the vital decision he anticipated his mate would soon be delivering to him. Regardless of what this interlude with Radditz meant, he was not going to allow it to hurt his children. "Go."

With a half frown, Trunks seemed about to object, but then his expression suddenly softened. Walking over to his father, he used his free arm to wrap around Vegeta's torso as he scrunched the trio together in a tight hug. "We still love ya, Dad. I'm sure Mom does too." Pulling away from the awkward parent, Trunks then lifted his sister's arm to wave goodbye to her father as the pair departed from the room.  

Once the door closed, Vegeta felt an atypical smile grace his lips. If someone had told him twelve years ago that he would have a son and a daughter that he adored and a mate who he loved so deeply that he was willing to see her part to another man if it meant her happiness, he would have told the idiot he was a out of his mind and then put him out of his misery with a blast through his chest. 

But here he was, The Legendary. He had defeated Freeza and Cooler, claimed their territory, and brought honor back to the Saiya-jin name. His life had reached a perfection he could have never in his wildest dreams imagined. Save for one element, the most important element, one that he had continually failed to keep consistently in his life, his mate, Bulma. She was all that was missing, an essential he feared he would have to learn to live without. 

Not that it would be such a change, more years than not he had adjourned to an empty bed. Those blue eyes had only shined upon him a handful of times with devotion and adoration before a day fell in which he proved unable to protect her. But for all the time they were apart, his soul had always been filled with her. There was never a day he would awaken without seeing her face, without reliving every moment of bliss they had shared. She had pulled him through his darkest moments and brought him every pleasure in his life. 

They had survived too much to lose each other now, but he would not fight her if it was what she wanted. The first promise he had ever made her was that he would never force his desires on an unwilling woman. If this final tragedy had brought about her disinterest in him, so be it. At least she was still alive. Trunks had his mother once again and Vegeta now had a second child, a daughter, the perfect image of her mother. 

After so many years of fighting, the former Saiya-jin prince was not a fool. He knew when to walk away. After all the grief he has caused the poor woman, he should have walked away from her before Cooler had a chance to hurt her. But that was all in the past now, all he had control over was the future. And when it came to Bulma, the only woman he has ever and will ever want, he would offer up his resistance for the sake of her needs. To stay together or to part, the choice was hers.  

"Vegeta, open this damn door right now!" An incessant pounding followed the crude demand. It seemed the woman of the hour was ready to speak to him, except he could not decide whether the belligerency in her tone was a positive or negative sign. Taking a short breath before reaching the handle, he threw open the door. A part of him hoped she would run into his arms and begin confessing her undying love, but that part swiftly died as the little hellcat tackled him.  "You idiot!" she screamed, pounding her fists against his chest, the sheer shock of the attack knocking him to the ground. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" 

Taking a moment to regain his senses, Vegeta grabbed her wrists to try and stop her from struggling against him. Of all the reactions she could have had to getting her memories back, this most certainly was not one he had anticipated. Rolling the two of them over so her body was restrained under his, he used his weight to subdue her. 

"It wasn't enough that I was willing to risk my life at the hands of Zarbon to save you, it wasn't enough that I gave my life to save you and our son from Cooler, no, you still have to doubt how much I loved you—you self-deprecating idiot! How, after so many fucking years, can you still not know my heart?" Her angry confession swiftly turned to tears as her fight lessened, and her body fell limp beneath his, one hand rising to cover her face. "Damn it, Vegeta, I have been in love with you since I was sixteen, what made you think I would not want you now?"

Anger, frustration, jubilation, disappointment, shock, and finally contentment filtered through Vegeta's volatile emotional state before the most essential admittance in her confession came to the forefront of his mind. She wanted him, no one else, never anyone else, only him. His lips crushed hers in a desperate expression of his passion. "How the hell was I to be sure?" He pulled her into his arms as he sat back on the ground, locking her in between his thighs as he did so. "After all I did to you," his lips moved across her cheek. "After all the time we spent apart," he found her ear and lightly bit the lobe before shifting his head so she could rest hers atop his. "It seemed too optimistic too believe you could still want me after all the pain I caused you." 

Bulma's blue eyes blinked slowly open and closed as she lifted her delicate hands to circle her lover's handsome face. "Pain?" she whispered argumentatively. "I would be long dead right now if it were not for you. I would not have lived to see a day beyond life on Freeza's ship if it weren't for you. I would not have two beautiful children if it were not for you.  I wouldn't, at least I still hope, have a man who wants to spend the rest of his life with me," she kissed his brow as she made the indirect request. "Vegeta, none of the pain I ever faced in life was because of you. Even in the days when you were selfish and cold, you always did right by me. So why is it that you insist on feeling so insecure about our love?" 

"Because of what you just said," he was quick to respond as he trapped the gaze of the only woman he would ever love. "You admit you are alive only because of my doing. How do I know what you feel is not merely an overabundance of gratitude. When you had no memories, you were willing to stay with Radditz, even though you admitted you didn't love him, just because he saved your life. For all I know, you are confusing obligation with freewill once again."

"And what about you?" the sharp-tongued woman was swift to fire back, "How do I know your feelings are genuine? Perhaps you only want to stay with me because I bore you two children. Or perhaps you still feel guilty about our first night together? Or perhaps you are just drawn to the challenge of obtaining a woman whom you have continually had a difficult time holding onto." 

His hands slid down her arms and locked around her biceps. In repressed indignation, Vegeta ground his teeth together as he hissed, "How dare you question me! Do you think me incapable of knowing my own feelings?! Do you think such pliable excuses as those would keep a man like me chasing after a meager creature like you!?" 

"Then how is it any less insulting for you to challenge my sincerity?!" She shoved his hands off of her arms. "Do you believe me so feeble that I do not know my own heart? Do you think me so weak of will that I would succumb to a man who meant nothing to me? Do you think I would honestly prostitute myself off that way?" 

Her words finally sunk in as Vegeta's entire expression paled from fury to shame. It seemed she was right. Who was he to doubt her while she could conjure just as many excuses to dispute the prospect of their feelings being just as strong as they were after so many years of struggle? Perhaps what they shared was not something that could be argued with logic; perhaps it was simply something that exceeded the boundaries of intellectual capacity.  Perhaps they were simply two souls that were meant to be, and no force in the universe was strong enough to break them. 

"We have survived so much, haven't we?" Vegeta whispered absently as he felt Bulma snuggle into his arms, her head lowering to rest on his shoulder as she circled her arms around his abdomen. 

"And to think, our lives have still barely begun," her hot breath tickled his throat as she voiced the stunning reminder. They _were_ still so young, Bulma in her late twenties while he had just barely passed the milestone of thirty. They had met one another when they were just children, both in desperate need for something to cling to, something to keep them going as they fought to stay alive. And they found that in the last place either would have ever imagined, in each other. 

"What do you think the chances are that life will be peaceful for us from here on out?" his hand stroked through her long blue tresses as he tightened his grasp on her, willing her to never be parted from him again. 

"Probably slim," Bulma chuckled lightly as she closed her eyes and recounted all of the demons they had faced to be in this moment. "But I do not think it truly matters what fate throws at us," her lips lifted to kiss his throat, "because I am not giving it the chance to take you from me again." She continued a trail around his collar until she reached the juncture where his neck met his shoulder. 

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Vegeta's eyes were already shut as he gave into the sensations she was invoking in his longing body. 

"By making you mine," she whispered possessively before sinking her teeth into his flesh.  The former prince's eyes flew open as he felt the sting of his skin being broken. Falling backwards, he felt Bulma cushion his head as it hit the ground. Her teeth never left their feast as she straddled his waist, greedily drinking well more than he had when he first bonded to her. 

Selfish wench would not get away with that! Reclaiming enough of his wits, Vegeta lifted his head and sunk his fangs into his aged mark, reopening it, strengthening it. He felt a heavy moan against his skin as his mate felt his penetration, but it did not slow her intake in the least. 

For countless minutes they consumed one another. Bulma was eventually the first to stop as she removed her teeth from her mate's neck, and began to lap up the excess blood from her lips as she awaited Vegeta's repletion. Once he too finished, his head thudded back onto the hard floor as he tried to calm his rapidly beating heart. "How did you…" His question was barely asked above his heavy breathing. But it was more than enough for Bulma to know what he desired to hear. 

"You can thank Radditz, actually." Bulma rested her tired head upon Vegeta's chest as she listened to his pounding heartbeat. "He told me that when two Saiya-jins mutually desire to share the rest of their lives together, they form a complete bond, which both have to partake in. He also said that a complete bond means more than just an emotional connection, it connects the bodies, so if one dies, the other will soon after follow." She paused and lifted her head to look up at her new mate. "I assumed that was why you wished not to complete ours before. You did not want me to share in your fate, should you ever be killed in battle."  
 

Her conclusion was confirmed with a short nod of her lover's head. A smile immediately lightened across her features, "Then it was fated that we did not bond then. Had we, you would have died with me, no one would have defeated Cooler and Radditz would never have had any incentive to bring me back to life. You see? We are meant to be!" Bulma twisted her body so she was once again straddling Vegeta's chest. Wrapping her forearms around his neck, she brushed her lips against his as she asked, "Hmm… May I request something of you?"   
  
"Yes, anything you want," Vegeta smirked proudly as he ran his fingers through the soft strands of blue that dangled from her angelic face. "Do you remember the first time we made love?" The hesitation in his expression immediately reminded her that she would have to clarify her statement, "Not the time in front of Zarbon… I meant our first real time, as two private consenting adults, not just providing one another with a physical release during a forced performance, but sharing our love for one another. Do you remember?"   
  
"How could I forget?" Vegeta questioned with a slow pull upon his lips. Defeated in battle, no regeneration tank could have provided him with the curative she had, once he returned to their room. Bathing with her, basking in her, loving her had been merely a dream to him up until that point. He would never forget the first time she gave of herself freely to him, the first time he ever knew love.   
  
"Do you remember what I asked of you that night?"   
  
He did. As clearly as if the moment had passed between them hours ago, he recited her precise request, "You told me you wanted our mating to be real. You asked me to make love to you."  
  
"Mmmm hmmm," she emphasized each passion filled syllable with a lusty blinking of her eye lashes and a breathy pant. When she felt her mate's body react, the corners of her lips rose as she slyly asked, "Now, I know that was more than eleven years ago and, of course, one must consider your having aged quite drastically over the years," she ran her fingers over the lineless contours of his face to elucidate her jest. "But I was hoping you might still have enough stamina in you to remind me of those younger days, when we were first in love and just learning how to perfect the art."

With mock indignation, Vegeta scoffed at her implication, "Are you saying I have lost my skill with a woman?" Pushing himself off the ground, Vegeta wildly carried his precious cargo over to his bed before non-too-gently dropping Bulma onto the mattress. Practically tearing off his clothing, Vegeta crawled over his prey, with an almost sadistic glint filling his eyes, "You should know by now never to tease a Saiya-jin, woman."

He trapped the fragile creature beneath him as he pinned her arms above her head. "When I am done with you," he ran a thin line of ki from her neck to her groin that slit all of her garments open, "your voice will be so hoarse from crying my name that you will not be able to speak for a week." She kicked off her shoes and lifted her pelvis to help him push her pants off of her legs. "Your fingernails will be ragged from raking them down my back." She arched her own back to allow him to push the rest of her tattered shirt off of her chest. "Your eyes will be swollen from weeping in pleasure." She bent her knee to allow him better access to the last of two garments covering her body, her socks. "Your skin will be parched after you sweat for hours beneath, atop of, kneeling before me…" She lifted her other leg, moaning as he ran his fingers down her thigh before getting to the final stitch of clothing she wore. Once he pulled it off, she welcomingly spread her legs, begging for his invasion. "Oh, when I am done with you, little one, you will be so sated with pleasure that you may very well slip into a passion induced coma for a month."  

Her white teeth glistened through the lusty haze encompassing her features, as Bulma coyly asked, "Those are some hefty promises. What makes you think you can fulfill them?" 

Bulma felt the tip of her mate's desire tease her entrance as he pretended to contemplate the answer, torturing her as he tempted and then pulled away. "I know I can, because I know you," Vegeta finally answered her question with pride, "I know how desperately you need me."  

"Ah, well that's nice to hear," she reached her fingers down to stroke his. Succumbing to her invitation, Vegeta released her wrists, but only so he could interlace his fingers with hers, still keeping them above her head. "Vegeta, please," she offered what she knew he wanted to hear in between the teasing kisses he tormented her with, "Make me scream, cry, sweat, I want you to do it all." She bit onto his lower lip, trying to keep him close to her before he had another chance to pull away. The amusement that flashed across his eyes made her stomach flip. 

"Why the hurry, Bulma? We have our entire lives ahead of us, and be certain that I intend to spend most of that time with you, making love to you." His words were soft and gentle sounding, nothing like she was used to. His hands tightened around hers and she knew all playfulness had vanished from his demeanor. He wanted her to know she was more than just a female body that excited him, more than just the mother of his children, more than just a creature to cling to in the wake of hopelessness. She was everything to him. Perhaps no one in the universe but Bulma could truly understand the veracity of that sentiment, because she felt the same way. 

"Then just make love to me," she lifted her hips towards his, "just love me." Her lips followed suit as the two connected in everyway physically possible. Their arms, their legs, their lips and their cores completely entwined; a physical coupling that could only be matched by the spiritual connection it wrought. They were truly one as they moved together, cried out together and touched ecstasy together. 

It no longer mattered what horrors their past had held, what anguish tomorrow would bring; they had one another in the here and now. If they were meant to live in unadulterated bliss for the rest of their existence, they would welcome it. If they were to suffer separation and danger yet another time, they would not fear it. Their connection ran deeper than any force the universe had to offer; they were meant to be together. And no matter what was to come for them, they could face it together; they would keep on _surviving together_… 

The End 

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Author's Note: It's the end. I cannot say I am happy about it being over, but the time has come. This story (in its entirety) has consumed the better part of the last almost three years of my life, and now it is time to move on. And move on I have, with my newest fic: _Unwanted_. If you would like both a summary and a clip from it, go to my author's page and read my bio, it is all posted there… Now go and review! I would love to hear some thoughts on this story, and the entire saga as a series. Feedback, particularly of a well thought out and articulated variety, goes far in helping a writer improve their work. Any longer comments/complaints/criticisms or privates thoughts you would like to speak to me about, feel free to drop me an e-mail at LavenderGoddessV@aol.com. I thank all those devout fans that have stuck with this story from the very beginning! I hope you will all come back for my new fic, so far, I am pretty proud of it, and I think you shall all enjoy it… Until then… Happy reading!  


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